Live Nation and its EDM festival and event partner Insomniac Events are the target of a major class action lawsuit brought on by festival volunteers seeking pay for their work. According to the suit, the companies lured volunteers to avoid paying for labor at their events, but didn’t properly compensate them based on the Fair Labor Standards Act, which requires all workers to be paid at least the minimum wage ($7.25 per hour).
The suit claims that Live Nation and Insomniac intentionally misclassified workers as volunteers to avoid paying them wages and overtime, failing to track the time they worked, and allowing them to work for a for-profit company. In addition, the lawsuit alleges that the companies violated state law by not providing the volunteers with the required rest and meal breaks during the day.
The positions were advertised differently than what volunteers experienced. They were told that they would receive free admission to the festivals with “meals, water, parking, and time off to enjoy the festival.” In reality, many workers apparently weren’t given time off as promised. They were also required to submit a “refundable volunteer deposit” to make sure that they fulfilled their duties, which resulted in some volunteers effectively paying Live Nation and Insomniac to work.