Christian wealth-building seminar Life Surge is accused of misclassifying the employment status of its sales advisors to avoid paying them overtime, according to a lawsuit filed Jan. 16 in Tampa, Florida.

Indiana resident John Dessauer filed the collective action complaint in a federal district court on behalf of himself and other sales advisors who worked as independent contractors for Life Surge in the past three years.

“Over a long period of time, Defendant has engaged in a willful scheme to avoid its pay obligations under the (Fair Labor Standards Act) FLSA in order to save millions of dollars in labor costs and increase profits by misclassifying its sales employees as independent contractors,” the complaint states.

The suit states that Life Surge reclassified its sales advisors from independent contractors to employees in December 2025 “in an act of admission of a violation of the FLSA and perhaps IRS regulations.”

However, Life Surge has refused to pay overtime costs incurred before the reclassification, the suit states.

FLSA outlines minimum wage, overtime and child labor protections for U.S. workers. It also sets guidelines for determining whether a worker is an independent contractor or employee. Independent contractors are not subject to FLSA protections.

FLSA requires employees be paid time and a half for overtime, which is defined as work performed beyond a 40-hour work week.

Life Surge presents daylong conferences across the U.S. featuring well-known Christian speakers, such as former football star Tim Tebow and author Priscilla Shirer. Throughout the event, less-advertised speakers pitch wealth-building programs.

Many attendees have described Life Surge as a “bait and switch,” and some have told The Roys Report (TRR) that the seminar uses manipulative tactics to sell expensive mentorship programs.

The FLSA complaint states that the Life Surge sales advisors’ “primary function” is to deliver scripted training and sell its mentorship services at live events or to pre-screened sale leads. All payments to the advisors were commission-based, the suit claims.

Dessauer, who began working for Life Surge in January 2023, claims in the lawsuit he “routinely” worked more than 40 hours per week. The suit states Life Surge “encouraged and required” him to put in those kinds of hours.

The complaint states these advisors should have always been classified as employees because Life Surge dictated when and where they could make sales; their working relationship was not bound by a set amount of time and several other factors.

At least 50 people have worked as Life Surge sales advisors in the past three years, the suit estimates.

The suit is seeking past overtime pay for Dessauer and others who join the collective action, recovery of legal fees and other relief.

Life Surge spokesperson Jennifer Willingham told TRR that the company learned about the lawsuit over the weekend via an email alert and that it has not been served. She said Life Surge has not had time to study the complaint or review the allegations with attorneys.

“We take these matters seriously, and we are committed to handling this matter thoughtfully, lawfully and in a manner consistent with our values,” Willingham said.

Dessauer’s attorney, Mitchell Feldman, told TRR that “the complaint speaks for itself” and declined further comment.

Life Surge’s founder, Joe Johnson, is facing several other active lawsuits.

In August 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Johnson seeking to stop him from participating in “abusive” real estate deals. The suit claims the deals could be responsible for up to $46 million in unexpected tax bills for sellers.

Several of the sellers filed lawsuits against Welfont, a company involved in the deals that Johnson founded. Many of the cases have been settled or adjudicated, but one remains in litigation in South Carolina.

In May 2025, former Life Surge employee Brian McAdam sued the company for firing him after he expressed concern about its “method of targeting vulnerable individuals through faith-based messaging,” as well as alleged religious discrimination.

Magistrate Judge Daphne A. Oberg has set a March 2 deadline for Life Surge to respond to the allegations in McAdam’s complaint.

Ann Marie Shambaugh has reported as a print journalist in multiple states, including currently in Carmel, Indiana.