As she shook her bare backside for the sparse afternoon crowd at Rick’s Cabaret, the dancer introduced as Vanessa appeared to be more committed to her work than the typical clock-puncher. But a federal judge ruled on Tuesday that she and her fellow strippers were hourly workers who deserved at least the minimum wage.

The judge, Paul A. Engelmayer of the Southern District, ruled that the dancers who strip to their G-strings and stilettos every day and night at Rick’s are indeed employees protected by federal and state labor laws. The ruling came in a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of current and former dancers at the club that Rick’s opened near the Empire State Building in 2005.

Rick’s, a chain of “upscale adult nightclubs serving primarily businessmen and professionals” based in Texas, argued that its dancers were independent contractors, more akin to stand-up comedians than fry cooks. But Judge Engelmayer was not persuaded. He said the list of rules Rick’s laid down could be described as “micromanagement.”

Among the dos and don’ts detailed in the company’s pamphlet of “Entertainer Guidelines” were requirements that the dancers work eight-hour shifts at least three days a week, wear stiletto heels at least four inches tall, skip body glitter and cover any tattoos with makeup.