Is Scientology breaking the law?

... There's evidence that they are.

Violation of Labor Laws

Scientology policy is replete with directives that are at odds with US labor law . It dictates that staff members be paid based on org income (often resulting in paychecks that are far below minimum wage standards), that overtime pay be disallowed, that staffers be required to submit to invasive security checks, and that "free" courses be billed and turned into a debt if staffers leave before their contracts are up. There is also evidence that child labor laws are routinely disregarded, in keeping with Scientology policy that children be encouraged to produce and contribute just like adults.

Joe Muldoon describes receiving $50/week for 50-60 hours of work, and receiving just $12 one week due to a low ethics condition	Chicago	1996?	a.r.s. Jun 26 1996 & a.r.s. Jun 28 1996
Four women were fired for refusing to take Scientology-based "management" courses	NY state	1994?	Ridgefield Press, Jul 28 1994
Stacy Young’s sworn declaration states that RPF "slave labor" is used to build luxury facilities for Scientology celebrities and are paid $5 a week for 70-hour weeks	California?	1975 - 1989	sworn declaration, March '94
Ken Long’s personal story describes how "10,000 hours of work was stolen from me" with citations to the relevant California labor laws that were violated	Florida?	Feb 1984	a.r.s. Apr 2 1995
In the St. Petersburg Times ' story on children in Scientology, three stories describe violation of state labor laws - children say they work 50 hours a week or more, for less than minimum wage	Clearwater, FL	1983 for one case	St. Petersburg Times, Nov 10-11, 1991
Peter Forde describes his involvement in Scientology in England, noting particularly that staff (including himself) were to tell clients that prices for Scientology services were being raised in order to pay decent wages to staff - but that the staff was getting 3-4 pounds per week, from which they were supposed to buy uniforms and books.	England	1983	undated web page
Annie Rosenblum’s declaration describes receiving $4 a week while working long hours, seven days a week, on the RPF.	Clearwater, FL	1978	declaration, webbed Apr 10 1995
An anonymous ex-Scientologist who spent about six months in Scientology as a teenager says that a friend of his received $90 a month plus a room for working 60 hours a week	Washington DC	1975	web page Apr 6 1995
"Warrior" describes receiving a $7 paycheck for a 48-hour work week and states that many weeks, he received no pay at all	unknown	1973	a.r.s. May 23 1997
a posting to alt.religion.scientology describes promises made to a Sea Org recruit, a minor , who received "about $11 per 70 hour week"	unknown	unknown	a.r.s. Apr 19 1996
Ted Mayett recalls his first Scientology paycheck, for $1.76. (no date)	unknown	unknown	web page Dec 15 1995

This page was last updated on May 8, 1999.