The San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL) reportedly pay their cheerleaders $75 per game and nothing for rehearsal time, but that will stop in January when a new California law will force teams to adhere to state and federal labor laws regarding minimum wage and overtime.
Already, four teams have lost court cases, resulting in back pay for their cheerleaders and adherence to basic wage and overtime standards for the Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals.
New York is following California’s lead with its own soon-to-be law, the Cheerleaders’ Fair Pay Act.
Major League Baseball (MLB) is facing a lawsuit by a group of minor leaguers demanding minimum wage and overtime as well. Baseball for decades has argued that it is exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) because it falls under the “seasonal entertainment” exemption. The case is still pending.
If you own or operate a small to medium-sized business, managing all your employees plus meeting federal labor laws and regulations can be daunting, especially with new rules being issued all the time. To help you understand your rights and responsibilities in every facet of running a business, please order a copy of Personnel Concepts’ All-On-One HR Compliance Program for Small Businesses.