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Former VIP services host sues for lost wages, tips
Fitzgerald
A former VIP services host at the Imperial Pacific Resort and Casino sued the company yesterday in federal court for allegedly not paying her minimum wage and overtime wages and refusing to give her customers’ tips.
Shirline Loh is suing Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC for alleged violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and Minimum Wage Hour Act, and conversion and fraud.
Saipan Tribune was still awaiting comments from IPI about the lawsuit as of press time.
Loh, through counsel William M. Fitzgerald, is demanding that Imperial Pacific be made to pay her the minimum wage and overtime pay. Loh also wants her shares of tips.
Loh is a citizen of Singapore. She currently resides there.
According to Fitzgerald in the complaint, Loh worked for IPI from Oct. 15, 2015, to August 2016.
Fitzgerald said the contract provided that, among other things, Loh would be employed as a VIP services host. Her duties would consist of offering guests drinks and food, making sure necessary gaming items were available to guests, arranging chairs, picking up garbage, and ensuring that places VIP guests visited were clean.
From the beginning of Loh’s employment, the lawyer said, IPI intentionally required, by written contract, that she work more than 40 hours per week, without being paid for overtime.
From October 2015 through August 2016, Loh allegedly worked for IPI in excess of 14 hours per day, seven days per week.
From October 2015 through August 2016, IPI allegedly paid Loh $2,300 per month for her services.
Fitzgerald said IPI failed to pay Loh all minimum wages and overtime wages required by the Fair Labor Standards Act and of the Minimum Wage Hour Act.
He said tips were given by customers to IPI for the specific purpose of rewarding VIP hosts for good service, with the direction that IPI pay these tips to the VIP hosts.
The lawyer said IPI intentionally refused to pay Loh these tips and instead pocketed them.
