Thousands of ski and snowboard instructors are taking on one of the biggest names in the resort business, accusing the major company of shortchanging workers through a controversial pay setup.
Nearly 2,000 instructors have already joined a federal lawsuit against Vail Resorts, alleging the company failed to properly compensate employees for required job duties under the Fair Labor Standards Act, according to court filings cited by Vail Daily.
Vail owns three major Lake Tahoe resorts, Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood.
The case, Quint et al. v. Vail Resorts, Inc, claims instructors were required to perform significant “off-the-clock” work without pay — including time spent traveling between lesson sites, putting on and removing gear and attending mandatory training sessions, according to the official litigation website, as reported by Vail Daily.
Plaintiffs also allege they were forced to cover job-related expenses such as ski equipment and work-related cellphone use — costs they argue should have been reimbursed by the company.
View of Lake Tahoe framed by snow covered trees from high up on Heavenly Ski Resort. Getty Images A view of the gondola at Heavenly Mountain Resort. Jason Tobias for CA Post Vail Resorts has denied the allegation , maintaining it has complied with wage laws and appropiately compensated its employees, according to Vail Daily.
Anyone who worked as a ski or snowboard instructor at a Vail Resorts-owned mountain since the 2017-18 season may be eligible to join the case.
Workers must submit a consent form through the litigation website by Wednesday, April 15 in order to participate and potentially receive a share of any settlement or judgement.
A judge this week ordered both sides to appear at a discovery hearing Wednesday after concerns emerged that not all eligible workers received notice of the lawsuit, Vail Daily reported.
The case initially attempted to notify roughly 24,000 current and former instructors via mail and email, but with fewer than 2,000 opting in so far, plaintiffs argue more time may be needed to reach affected employees.
The issue is expected to be discussed at the upcoming hearing.
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