Michael Jackson to pay back wages

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March 15, 2006 4:04 PM

Michael Jackson to pay back wages

Michael Jackson has made arrangements to pay back wages and penalties totalling at least $406,000, heading off further legal action by state labor regulators.

Renee Bacchini, a spokesman for the state Department of Industrial Relations, said today that the singer's representatives will start making the payments on Thursday.

"We will verify everything along the way," she said.

This action came as the state investigated claims that some employees of Mr. Jackson's Neverland Ranch have not been paid since Dec. 19, 2005.

State investigators say there are at least 69 employees at Neverland.

In addition, Mr. Jackson, 47, is accused of failing to provide workers' compensation insurance, which pays medical bills when employees are hurt on the job and pays for lost time following an on-the-job injury.

Mr. Jackson was to have paid at least $306,000 in back wages and a $100,000 penalty for allegedly withholding three months' worth of pay from at least 30 employees.

For the full story see Thursday's News-Press.

source: newspress.com

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State says Michael Jackson will pay Neverland workers back wages

Associated Press

LOS OLIVOS, Calif. - Averting a potential state lawsuit, Michael Jackson has agreed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in back wages owed to dozens of employees at his Neverland ranch, officials said Wednesday.

"Jackson's representatives will distribute payroll directly to the employees" on Thursday, said a statement from the California Department of Industrial Relations.

Jackson had been given a 5 p.m. Tuesday deadline - later extended to Wednesday - to pay up or face a lawsuit.

"There is no need to take legal action in this matter at this time," said Robert Jones, acting California labor commissioner.

Authorities sent a letter to Jackson's financial representatives on March 7 demanding he make good on back wages. The department said it had received complaints from at least 30 workers that they had not been paid since Dec. 19 and were owed $306,000 in wages. Jackson also was told he would have to pay about $100,000 in penalties.

However, Jones said Wednesday that Jackson's payroll records still were being verified. The final calculated figure for back wages and penalties would be available next week, he said.

A call to Jackson's spokeswoman, Raymone K. Bain, was not immediately returned. She earlier declined comment on the issue, saying Jackson does not discuss financial matters because he considers them private.

A call left with Jackson's accountants, Bernstein, Fox, Whitman, Goldman & Sloan LLP, also was not immediately returned.

The labor department also said Jackson's representatives had indicated that they were in the process of obtaining workers compensation insurance for 69 employees of the ranch.

The state ordered all work at the 2,600-acre Santa Barbara County ranch to stop last week because the mandatory coverage for work-related injuries had lapsed.

The order concerned some animal rights activists because it included keepers of Jackson's menagerie, which at times has included elephants and a giraffe.

However, employees were permitted to keep working if they were being paid by another party who had workers compensation coverage.

Investigators went to the ranch on Tuesday and determined that the stop order was being met.

"Security is being handled by members of the Jackson family and a local veterinarian has put the animal caregivers on his payroll," the department statement said.

Jackson still faces a fine for allowing the coverage to lapse. It originally was estimated at $69,000.

"We will be calculating and collecting the exact amount," Jones said.

source: mercurynews.com

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