Jennifer L O’Neill, a former assistant of Lady Gaga, is taking legal action against the pop star for unpaid overtime pay.

O’Neill claims that she is owed $380,000 for the thousands of hours of overtime she worked while employed by the singer’s touring company, Mermaid Touring Inc, from February 2010 to March 2011.

Court papers filed by O’Neill’s lawyers state that she was first employed as Lady Gaga’s assistant for a four-week period in 2009, earning $1,000 per week.

She was then rehired the following spring, working full-time with an annual base salary of $75,000.

According to the court papers, O’Neill was “always behind the scenes” and “figuratively, if not literally, always at [Lady Gaga’s] side.”

The former assistant has described the various responsibilities she had while working for the pop star, which included accompanying her on tours, from stadiums to private jets, and from “fine hotel suites [to] yachts, ferries, trains and tour buses”.

O’Neill was also responsible for reviewing Lady Gaga’s credit card statements, ensuring her meals were in order, maintaining her personal supplies, and even serving as her personal alarm clock.

In addition to working 40 hours a week, O’Neill claims she was on call night and day, but never received overtime pay.

O’Neill’s representatives are now seeking substantial compensation for the unpaid overtime.

They argue that “Lady Gaga’s policy and practice was to be deliberately indifferent to … violations of the statutory overtime requirements,” and that the pop star “failed to compensate [the] plaintiff for [her] work.”

The case is expected to be heard next year in New York’s federal district court. In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for Lady Gaga said it was “completely without merit.”

The pop star has yet to comment further on the matter.

Lady Gaga has had a successful career as a singer, songwriter, and actress. She has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

Employers are legally obliged to pay overtime to employees who work more than 40 hours per week. Employers who fail to do so can face legal action, as is the case with O’Neill and Lady Gaga.

It is also worth noting that many personal assistants and other behind-the-scenes workers in the entertainment industry are often not compensated adequately for their hard work.