Workers at a Yonkers massage spa who received no overtime wages for their labors now get to split $205,000.
U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti issued a default judgment on Feb. 22 for 18 employees who worked for Foot Relax Spas in Yonkers and Parsippany, New Jersey.
Yong Biao Ji, a masseur from Flushing, Queens, claimed that owners Ke Xue Zhang, “the boss,” and Xiang Man Zhang, “the lady boss,” flouted federal and state wage laws, in a class action complaint filed in U.S. District Court, White Plains, in 2022.
Ji worked for the spas off and on for about 21 months, from 2016 through 2019.
He said he was driven to the spa in Highridge Plaza on Central Avenue, Yonkers, in a company van, or to the New Jersey store, as needed.
He worked six days a week, 13 to 14 hours a day, and was allowed five minutes for lunches or dinners.
Ji said he typically did back and foot massages for six hours a day and was paid in cash, $12 to $13 an hour.
When he was not rubbing customers he had to do chores such as cleaning the shop, according to the complaint, had to remain on call for customers, and was not free to leave during the work day.
He was paid no overtime — one-and-a-half times regular pay — for extra hours after a 40-hour week, according to the complaint.
Ji sued on behalf of 18 current and former employees back to 2019.
The spas denied the allegations and accused Ji and his attorneys from John Troy PLLC, Queens, of interference with a contractual relationship, unjust enrichment and fraud.
Judge Briccetti dismissed the counterclaims on Oct. 13.
On Nov. 16, neither the defendants nor their attorney showed up for a scheduled conference.
“Indeed,” the judge noted in a court order, “defendants have not appeared, themselves or through counsel, at any of the three conferences conducted in this case to date.”
Briccetti granted a motion by Ji’s attorney for a default judgment, and on Feb 22 he approved a $205,450 award for the spa workers, plus interest and attorney fees.
