Strippers Are Employees, Nevada Top Court Rules

More than 6,000 semi-nude performers were improperly classified as independent contractors, Nevada’s Supreme Court ruled last week, and Sapphire Gentleman’s Club must consider the performers employees under state law, subject to Nevada’s minimum wage law. In light of the decision, which evaluated the club under the “economic realities” test of the Fair Labor Standards Act and concluded Sapphire qualified as an employer, companies should assess their employment practices, Jackson Lewis attorney Noel P. Tripp warns.