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Buffalo Bills Cheerleader Followup: Two New Documents Released


I had posted a blog previously about the Buffalo Bills cheerleaders who brought a suit against the Bills (and other) complaining of wage and hour violations, among other complaints (From Pom Poms to the Courtroom, Pt. 3: Buffalo Bills Edition - blog).  After a bit of research, I have been able to locate the Code of Conduct and Glamour Requirements that the cheerleaders are required to abide by.

These documents are instructive for employers in many respects, especially when noting that while an employer can stipulate how an employee is to act/appear while on the job, there is a limit.  When the employee is required to pay for items on their own (such as uniforms, hair, makeup, etc.) and those expenditures result in the employee making less than minimum wage, potential wage and hour issues can arise.  This is a common complaint among the NFL cheerleaders who have had to spend significant amounts of their own money on their appearance, which resulted in many making less than minimum wage.

The big takeaway for employers:  requirements on how employees act/appear while on the job are allowable to an extent, however, it is important to keep an eye open for potential wage and hour issues that often result.


A copy of the Code of Conduct can be found here:  http://www.scribd.com/doc/220066173/Jills-Codes-of-Conduct-2013-2014

A copy of the Glamour Requirements can be found here:  http://www.scribd.com/doc/220066268/Jills-Glamour-Etiquette-Hygiene-Rules

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