Mariah Carey is being sued by a former staff member for unpaid overtime.

According to legal papers filed at Manhattan federal court, Ylser claims she began working as an assistant for Mariah in March 2007 and her duties included tidying up her Tribeca home in New York and organising repairs to the property, packing her luggage for trips, tending to her "personal needs," travelling with the R&B star on her business trips, taking her calls, carrying out shopping tasks for her and "caring" for Mariah's friends and family.

Ylser quit in June 2014 after becoming disgruntled with the working hours and lack of overtime.

Matthew Blit - Ylser's employment lawyer – told the New York Post newspaper: "My client put her family's life on hold while tending to Mariah Carey's family, and Mariah repaid her by underpaying her.

"My client is a very hard-working woman who treated Mariah and her family like her own, working all hours of the day and night. Even celebrities are required to abide by the law."

Ylser is suing Mariah - who split from her husband of six years, Nick Cannon, earlier this year - for significant amount of money", but the actual fee is undisclosed.

However, the suit claims she was entitled to at least time-and-a-half pay when working more than 40 hours a week.

When asked about the lawsuit, Mariah's spokesperson Cindi Berger said: "I can't comment on anything that I'm not aware of and we haven't heard anything about this lawsuit."