A growing number of former distributors are using the statute to allege exploitation through misclassification
By: David Bland
The Beachbody Co., a fitness and wellness company known for its home workout programs, is being sued by one of its former distributors in a dual individual and class-action lawsuit filed under California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). The May 2023 filing was brought by Jessica Lyons, who joined Beachbody’s direct selling division, Team Beachbody, in 2016. Lyons’ lawsuit alleges that The Beachbody Company, Inc. (re-branded in 2023 as BODi) is exploiting its distributors (called Coaches) by misclassifying them as independent contractors instead of employees.
The 137-page lawsuit alleges that Beachbody, by misclassifying its Coaches, violated a wide variety of provisions of the California Labor Code that apply to employees, such as not paying them a minimum wage, not providing meal and rest breaks, failing to keep payroll records and wage statements, not reimbursing business expenses, and failing to pay unpaid wages at the time of separation of employment. The lawsuit alleges that all of these actions constitute unfair competition, in violation of California law.
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