Clown Suit: Ex-Clowns sue Clowns.com for wage theft

The Something Awful Forums > Main > General Bullshit > Clown Suit: Ex-Clowns sue Clowns.com for wage theft

I. M. Gei: Jun 26, 2005; CHIEFS

BITCH

... no seriously, that's the headline on CNN.

Here's an actual article in case you give a gently caress. It's the first thing that popped up on google that wasn't behind a paywall.
https://www.404media.co/clowns-sue-clowns-com-for-wage-theft/

quote:

A group of clowns is suing their former employer Clowns.com for multiple labor law violations, according to recently filed court records.

Four people�Brayan Angulo, Cameron Pille, Janina Salorio, and Xander Black�filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday alleging Adolph Rodriguez and Erica Barbuto, owners of Clowns.com and their former bosses, misclassified them as independent workers for years, and failed to pay them for their time.

The Long Island-based company, which provides entertainers for events, violated the Fair Labor Standards Act and the New York Labor Law, the lawsuit claims.

The owners of Clowns.com didn�t give employees detailed pay statements as required by New York law, the lawsuit alleges. �As a result, Plaintiffs did not know how precisely their weekly pay was being calculated, and were thus deprived of information that could be used to challenge and prevent the theft of their wages,� it says.

The clowns weren�t paid for time �spent at the warehouse gathering and loading equipment and supplies into vehicles,� or for travel time between parties, or when parties went on for longer than expected, they claim.

In an announcement from the clowns� law firm, titled �Worker misclassification is no laughing matter,� Pille said she�s �proud to join with my clown colleagues� to stand up to wage theft and misclassification.

�For years, Clowns.com has treated clowns, who are largely young actors with no prior training in clowning who sign up for this job to make ends meet, as independent contractors,� Pille said.

The lawsuit claims that Pille was fired almost immediately after telling a colleague she thought it was illegal not to provide pay stubs. The other defendants share their own experiences with Clowns.com in the complaint; Salorio claimed that when she contracted COVID-19 and couldn�t work, her bosses didn�t believe her, sent her Q-Anon videos about the pandemic, and then retaliated against her after she quit, causing her to lose her new job as a music teacher.

Also among the allegations, the clowns claim that their bosses at Clowns.com cheaped-out on costuming and deducted unwearable shoes from their paychecks. �For example, in 2019 Defendants purchased new shoes, allegedly for the clowns and entertainers� use,� the lawsuit states. �But the new shoes were cheaply made and uncomfortable, so several of the Plaintiffs did not accept or wear them. Nevertheless, Defendants deducted the cost of the shoes from the pay of Plaintiffs and other clowns and entertainers.�

Wage theft is a massive labor issue across many industries in the US: A 2017 report from the Economic Policy Institute found that 2.4 million workers lose $8 billion per year to minimum wage violations alone.

Okay so apart from the incredible headline, the bosses are QAnon crazies that got an ex-employee fired from her next job as a teacher, so that's loving lovely. :smith:

Other than that, gently caress wage theft and gently caress this company for doing it and for getting that woman fired from her other job.

I'm not sure what else to add here. Post about clowns and/or wage theft, I guess. Or Simpsons memes. Clowns.

# ? Dec 21, 2023 20:15

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# ? May 11, 2024 18:07

Hammerite: Mar 9, 2007; And you don't remember what I said here, either, but it was pompous and stupid.; Jade Ear Joe

Nice website

...

for a clown to visit, at the circus!!!

# ? Dec 21, 2023 20:24

I. M. Gei: Jun 26, 2005; CHIEFS

BITCH

Hammerite posted:

Nice lawsuit

...

for a clown to file, at the circus!!!

# ? Dec 21, 2023 20:26

Grey Cat: Jun 3, 2023; Doing stuff and things

I can get paid for being a clown?
What have I been doing this whole time then?

# ? Dec 21, 2023 20:26

A Fancy Hat: Nov 18, 2016; Always remember that the former President was dumber than the dumbest person you've ever met by a wide margin

Is clowns.com run by former clowns that moved into clown management or is it all outsiders that didn't understand clowns? Seems like the 2nd one, what with all the cuts to footwear. You don't wanna skimp on the giant shoes.

# ? Dec 21, 2023 20:27

OMFG FURRY: Jul 10, 2006; [snarky comment]

Your honor, I would like to restate for the record that I am to be recognized as a Clown, and NOT a contracted Certified Specialist in Comedic Performances and Humorous Acts

# ? Dec 21, 2023 20:29

Mega64: May 23, 2008; I took the octopath less travelered,

And it made one-eighth the difference.

I wish the people running clowns.com would leave the clowning around to the professionals!

# ? Dec 21, 2023 20:33

Edward Mass: Sep 14, 2011; 𝅘𝅥𝅮 I wanna go home with the armadillo
Good country music from Amarillo and Abilene
Friendliest people and the prettiest women you've ever seen𝅘𝅥𝅮

In a previous statement, I called believers of the QAnon conspiracy theory "a bunch of clowns". I have since been educated about clowns and the act of clowning, and I retract this statement.

# ? Dec 21, 2023 20:34

Grey Cat: Jun 3, 2023; Doing stuff and things

Just like I believe CEOs should have to work for months at the bottom to see what their own lovely policies are like.
So too should the Clown Executive Officers be required to work children's birthday parties and rodeos.

# ? Dec 21, 2023 20:35

ChickenHeart: Nov 28, 2007; Take me at your own risk.; Kiss From a Hog

I hope the lawyers all pour out of a tiny clown law firm

# ? Dec 21, 2023 20:38

Henry Lee Mucus: Dec 11, 2003

What a bunch of��.clowns :mmmhmm:

# ? Dec 21, 2023 20:39

Panic! At The Tesco: Aug 19, 2005; FART

anything is possible at clowns.com

# ? Dec 21, 2023 20:47

Bonzo: Mar 11, 2004; Just like Mama used to make it!

Is this what they renamed Trump University to?

# ? Dec 21, 2023 20:47

TrashMammal: Nov 10, 2022

not if you want to be paid

# ? Dec 21, 2023 20:47

RavenousScoot: Mar 22, 2013

wait clowns are real?

# ? Dec 21, 2023 20:54

Nooner: Mar 26, 2011; AN A+ OPSTER (:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAU_Ez84l4c

# ? Dec 21, 2023 20:57

meat police: Nov 14, 2015

disrupting the clown market

# ? Dec 21, 2023 21:09

Yolomon Wayne: Jun 10, 2014; You call it "The Big Bang", but what really happened is; Grimey Drawer

id prolly just shoot myself

# ? Dec 21, 2023 21:10

Nigmaetcetera: Nov 17, 2004; borkborkborkmorkmorkmork-gabbalooins

Nooner posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAU_Ez84l4c

Read the comments, newest first. A bunch of qanon lunatics think it's Tim and Eric confessing to human trafficking.

# ? Dec 21, 2023 21:21

TrashMammal: Nov 10, 2022

Nigmaetcetera posted:

Read the comments, newest first. A bunch of qanon lunatics think it's Tim and Eric confessing to human trafficking.

but that�s specifically why i never read comments anywhere

# ? Dec 21, 2023 21:51

SLICK GOKU BABY: Jun 12, 2001; Hey Hey Let's Go! 喧嘩する
大切な物を protect my balls

Guess the clown games are over.

# ? Dec 21, 2023 22:21

Bonzo: Mar 11, 2004; Just like Mama used to make it!

I used to work with a guy that was a born again Christian and also was into clowning. He started to tell me about his Christian Clown act and apparently there's a whole bunch of Clowns for Christ and I laughed and he got mad at me. I got a new job before I could find out more.

# ? Dec 21, 2023 23:02

Dumb Sex-Parrot: Dec 25, 2020; Absurd Pox Term
Rad Buxom Strep

Retard Ox Bumps
Borax Dumpster

Dares Box Trump

clowns

# ? Dec 22, 2023 00:05

Strategic Tea: Sep 1, 2012

Sounds like they weren't even CLOWN CERTIFIED

# ? Dec 22, 2023 00:25

Disco Godfather: May 31, 2011

Bonzo posted:

I used to work with a guy that was a born again Christian and also was into clowning. He started to tell me about his Christian Clown act and apparently there's a whole bunch of Clowns for Christ and I laughed and he got mad at me. I got a new job before I could find out more.

Have some Klassic Kolbert

# ? Dec 22, 2023 00:35

istewart: Apr 13, 2005; Still contemplating why I didn't register here under a clever pseudonym

Hmm, since they're obviously short on staff, you think they would be willing to book my Postmodern Fart Clown act? The exposure is more important than the money at this point

# ? Dec 22, 2023 00:49

les enfants Terrific!: Dec 12, 2008

please, everyone. this is no laughing matter.

# ? Dec 22, 2023 00:55

MrQwerty: Apr 15, 2003

I got a guy who needs money bad, he's for sure willing to put up with a little bit of wage theft. He's pretty old, but he's definitely a clown.

# ? Dec 22, 2023 01:11

wesleywillis: Dec 30, 2016; SUCK A MALE CAMEL'S DICK WITH MIRACLE WHIP!!

whether we're here
whether we're there
you'll laugh and cheer anywhere we're the clowns

Whether we're east
whether we're west
all around the world they say that we're the best
and by the way whether we're here,
Whether we're there

Those clowns should start doing this poo poo to their former employers.
(not related to the above song:)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081619/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKSm10hCXN8

# ? Dec 22, 2023 01:16