Kim Kardashian's shapewear and loungewear brand, Skims, is facing a lawsuit in California over allegations that hourly workers were denied wages they were legally owed.
The case draws attention to a workplace issue that can affect employees in some of the most immediate ways: their paychecks, break time, and final wages upon leaving a job.
What happened?
According to Law360, as cited in Top Class Actions, a former employee filed suit against Skims Retail LLC and Skims Body Inc., alleging unpaid overtime, denial of meal and rest breaks required by law, and unpaid wages for hourly workers.
The case was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court as a representative action under California's Private Attorneys General Act. That statute allows an employee to pursue alleged Labor Code violations on the state's behalf when other workers may have been affected.
Beyond the overtime allegations, the complaint says employees were not paid for all time worked, were not reimbursed for necessary business expenses, and did not consistently receive full meal and rest periods, which Top Class Actions said the filing describes as sometimes shortened, delayed, interrupted, or missed entirely.
The plaintiff is represented by Arby Aiwazian of Lawyers for Justice P.C. The suit also alleges that wage statements were incomplete, including payroll records that left out total hours for a pay period, and that all wages due were not paid when workers resigned or were terminated.
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Why does it matter?
Even relatively small payroll mistakes can quickly snowball into bigger financial problems, including missed rent, unpaid bills, or growing credit card debt. When overtime is underpaid or breaks are skipped, workers can end up giving time and labor without proper compensation.
California has some of the country's strictest wage-and-hour protections. Meal breaks, rest periods, accurate wage statements, and timely final pay are basic worker safeguards meant to prevent abuse and help employees verify what they earned.
Recent legal scrutiny involving Skims has extended beyond this case. Top Class Actions said Skims Body reached a January resolution in New Jersey that included $200,000 in civil penalties and ongoing refunds after allegations it collected sales tax on clothing that was tax-exempt for almost five years. It also reported that a separate website accessibility case filed in Illinois federal court in 2025 was later dismissed voluntarily.
What can I do?
Pay stubs, schedules, timecards, texts from managers, and notes about missed breaks can help document whether wages were paid properly.
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Anyone who worked hourly shifts in California and suspects they were underpaid for time worked may be able to pursue back wages through a wage and hour lawsuit investigation, Top Class Actions noted. Wage statements can also show missing hours, overtime mistakes, or unpaid final wages.
Cases like this can also put pressure on employers to improve payroll practices, properly reimburse workers, and comply with state labor laws. PAGA actions in particular are designed to address alleged patterns that affect more than one employee.
If the claims move forward, the lawsuit could become part of a broader effort to hold employers accountable when cost-cutting comes at workers' expense.
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