HONOLULU–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Law Offices of Daniel Feder & The Law Offices of Sandra Lynch:
An employee of Waldorf-Astoria Management LLC filed a class action suit on February 24, 2023 in federal court in the District of Hawai`i (Bolos v. Grand Wailea, A Waldorf-Astoria Resort, Case 1:23-cv-00104) alleging violations of federal, Hawai`i, and California wage and hour and anti-corruption and racketeering laws based on Waldorf Astoria’s and other corporate and individual Defendants’ willful misclassification of employees as independent contractors.
The lawsuit is brought by Plaintiff Laurie Bolos, who has been employed as a Nail Technician for Defendant Waldorf-Astoria Management LLC for decades at the hotel giant’s world-famous Grand Wailea hotel in Maui County, Hawai`i. Waldorf Astoria is a luxury brand of Hilton hotels with locations throughout the United States and worldwide.
Bolos’ complaint alleges that Waldorf Astoria misclassified some hundreds of spa and salon workers, groundskeepers, facilities maintenance personnel, and window washers as independent contractors at two of its landmark hotels, the Grand Wailea and Beverly Hills Waldorf Astoria. Bolos further alleges that Waldorf Astoria acted willfully in violating numerous federal and state laws in a deliberate attempt to unlawfully circumvent their legal obligations to pay these workers a minimum wage and overtime and make federal income tax contributions toward their social security and unemployment insurance, as well as avoid providing mandatory health coverage, temporary disability insurance, and workers’ compensation benefits. Despite allegedly being placed on notice of their unlawful behavior, the Defendants are believed to have continued these employment practices and racketeering conduct in blatant disregard of their legal obligations.
Bolos is believed to be representative of a victimized class of vulnerable workers, including Native Hawaiian and immigrant communities, who have been systematically exploited by Waldorf Astoria and historically reluctant to question their working conditions out of fear of losing their jobs and suffering further economic hardship.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory, treble and punitive damages, penalties, and restitution/disgorgement of ill-gotten gains arising from the corporate and individual Defendants’ willful violations of federal and state wage and hours laws and racketeering activities in furtherance of their fraudulent scheme.
About The Law Offices of Daniel Feder
The Law Offices of Daniel Feder specializes in representing employees in discrimination, harassment, wage and hour, and class-action litigation.
Contacts
Media Contact:
Daniel Feder
www.dfederlaw.com
[email protected]
(415) 391-9476
(415) 710-3277
