Calendar Girls dancers found to be employees by the Employment Court
The Employment Court found that five former dancers at the Calendar Girls strip club in Wellington were employees rather than independent contractors in a judgment released on Thursday. By mischaracterising them as contractors, Calendar Girls had denied them their rightful entitlements, including in relation to leave.
Throughout their time working there, Calendar Girls had exercised a high degree of control, including over when they worked, how they were paid, how they dressed and performed, which clients they provided services to, and whether they could work at other venues. This level of control was found to be incompatible with claims that the dancers were operating their own independent businesses.
This has been a long running case, in which Community Law Wellington and Hutt Valley’s Manuela Miville-Fogliani has acted as Junior Solicitor. It sets an important precedent for the rights of workers in an industry in which exploitation is common.
The Employment Court’s full judgment is available via the New Zealand Legal Information Institute: https://www.nzlii.org/cgi-bin/viewdoc/nz/cases/NZEmpC/2026/247.html
The judgment has also been reported by Stuff and Radio New Zealand.
