Luxury handbag and leather goods manufacturer Coach Inc. is facing an employment misclassification lawsuit filed by a former intern who says she was treated more like an unpaid employee than an intern, reports California wage and hour lawyer Eric Grover of the Keller Grover law firm.
Johnetta Campbell worked for the New York-based company as an administrative assistant intern for four months in 2012, where she allegedly worked five to eight hours per day, five days per week.
According to the complaint, Campbell “developed and maintained fabric and trend boards weekly and seasonally, assisted the team in researching new trends or fabrics, worked in the brand’s warehouse, and other similar tasks necessary to the operation' of Coach, Inc.,” the Daily Mail reported.
Campbell’s resume, which can be found on Indeed.com, also revealed that she “'managed a wide variety of administrative support duties, including creating and handling the VP’s calendar and planning and managing the logistics for meetings and conferences,” as well as “managing special projects that require research including use of social media” while an intern at Coach.
The lawsuit also asserts that Coach took advantage of their interns as a way to keep labor costs low to maintain a higher profit margin.
Campbell filed the misclassification lawsuit last month in the Supreme Court of the State of New York and is seeking minimum wage pay and damages for herself and other interns who were treated similarly. .
One of the characteristics of this case that makes it unique is that many lawsuits filed by interns claiming that they were de facto employees are filed in federal court as violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), however in this case Ms. Campbell is claiming that Coach violated New York State’s labor laws, which uses an eleven step test to determine if all elements of the internship were legal.
“Interns are routinely taken advantage of at both small and large companies who see eager young college students as an easy way to get tasks done without the overhead costs,” says California wage and hour lawyer Eric Grover. “The Department of Labor and most states have laws or ‘tests’ available to help determine if you are being unfairly taken advantage of at your internship. If you suspect you are being used as free labor, don’t be afraid to research the laws surrounding internships, raise your concerns, and speak to a wage and hour lawyer to better understand your wage law rights.”
The California employment attorneys at the Los Angeles law firm of Keller Grover have been helping victims of wage theft recover lost wages since 2005. To learn more about wage laws and if you’ve been a victim contact Keller Grover at 888.601. 6939 or visit website http://www.cawagehourlaw.com/.
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