Lisa Vanderpump & Ken Todd’s Ex-PUMP Employee Awarded $24k in Fight Over Alleged Unpaid Wages
The ex-employee wants her money ASAP!
Dec. 15 2023, Published 7:30 a.m. ET
Lisa Vanderpump and her husband Ken Todd’s ex-PUMP employee claimed she was stiffed on a portion of her wages during the pandemic — and now she’s been awarded a 5-figure sum.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, Erika Lepe, an ex-employee of Vanderpump and Todd’s restaurant, filed a claim with the Labor Commission of The State of California.
The ex-bookkeeper claimed she was stiffed on her wages.
Lepe worked as a bookkeeper, personal assistant, and manager for P.U.M.P.’s restaurant/bar between November 1, 2013, to June 8, 2020.
In her petition, Lepe claimed she was owed unpaid wages, from March 16, 20220 through June 8, 2020, totaling $14,076.90. In addition, she said she was owed another $3k for vacation time that was unused at the time of termination.
She also demanded punitive damages.
Todd testified at the hearing.
A hearing was held on March 14, 2023, where Lepe and Todd appeared on behalf of P.U.M.P. LLC.
Lepe said the company had agreed to pay her $2,307 biweekly. She was discharged on June 8, 2020. At the hearing, she claimed to have not been paid for the 6 biweekly pay periods.
The labor commissioner explained, “[Todd] testified that P.U.M.P. was closed at the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic in March 2020 but that [Lepe] was kept on performing work for some time thereafter.”
He said that Lepe was “kept on” to help P.U.M.P. secure PPP loans from the government. Todd said the PPP work lasted until April 2022 but that Lepe “may have been kept on performing work until” June 2020.
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The ex-employee presented texts and emails from Todd in the case.
At the hearing, Lepe submitted a series of emails and texts from Todd where he had instructed her to work on the dates in question.
The labor commissioner ruled that Lepe had presented “credible testimony and evidence that she was performing work” as late as June 2020.
Todd and the restaurant are facing a separate lawsuit brought by their former landlord.
However, the commissioner said Todd was “unable to provide a clear answer as to how long [Lepe] was performing work or when precisely she stopped working for Defendant other than the business was not shuttered until” June 15, 2020.
The commissioner found Lepe was owed $13,846.20 in unpaid wages but denied her request for her unpaid vacation time. However, she was awarded an additional $3,998.32 in interest and another $6,923.10 in penalties for a total of $24,767.62.
This week, Lepe asked a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to confirm the award which will allow her to start the process of collections.
As RadarOnline.com first reported, P.U.M.P. and Todd are fighting a separate lawsuit brought by their former landlord.