Phone Sex Workers Sue Over Low Wages, Long Hours

Phone sex might be expensive and short-lived for consumers, but it doesn't pay much for the workers on the other line. That's according to a class action filed on Tuesday alleging a California-based phone sex operator misclassifies its "phone actors" as independent contractors, depriving them of overtime pay and "off the clock" work.

June 28, 2017 at 01:07 PM

2 minute read

By Amanda Bronstad
staff reporter

The original version of this story was published on The Recorder

Phone sex might be expensive and short-lived for consumers, but it doesn't pay much for the workers on the other line.

That's according to a class action filed on Tuesday alleging a California-based phone sex operator misclassifies its “phone actors” as independent contractors, depriving them of overtime pay and “off the clock” work. As a result, the sex talk workers, most of whom are women, are paid below the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour in violation of the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act, according to the suit, which was filed in federal court in Los Angeles.

Brian Mahany of Milwaukee's Mahany Law, who filed the suit, said the case is the first he's aware of alleging unpaid compensation on behalf of sex talk workers.