The Department of Labor has demanded that a Pennsylvania home care agency and its owner pay $1 million in back wages.
The company in question, WiCare Home Care Agency LLC, received a summary judgment regarding back wages and liquidated damages for 193 employees.
The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania entered a July 31, 2024, judgment that required the care agency, based in Lebanon and owner Luis Hernandez to pay $529,770 in back wages plus an equal amount in liquidated damages.
Pennsylvania care provider to pay $1 million back wages
“The Department of Labor will use all of its resources, including litigation if needed, to send a clear message to employers that willfully deny employees all of their hard-earned wages,” said Solicitor of Labor Seema Nanda. “Defying federal regulations that protect workers’ rights is a serious mistake with costly consequences.”
The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found that WiCare did not pay the mandatory overtime rate for employees working more than 40 hours in a workweek. The investigation also found that employees’ hours were not always paid in full, with some taking in less than $7.25 per hour.
The investigators also found that WiCare Home Care Agency LLC’s record-keeping breached the minimum requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
“Care industry workers provide support to people who depend on them for essential, quality-of-life services and they deserve to be paid fully for their hard work and dedication,” explained Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman. “Wage violations are all-too-common in the healthcare industry and we are determined to root out offenders and hold them accountable for the financial harm they cause their employees.”
In related news, The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) has injuncted a bar owner in Little Rock, Arkansas, for violating several federal laws.
The bar in question, the Benton Tavern, and its owner, Tim Steppach, violated child labor laws, stole tender’s tips, and fired an employee who had enough of the abuse they faced each day.
“Our investigation identified numerous violations by Tim’s Tavern and Tim Steppach, and we are using every enforcement tool available to protect their employees and to hold this employer fully accountable,” said Southwest Wage and Hour Regional Administrator Betty Campbell.
The DoL has a zero-tolerance policy, as we have reported, on children being illegally employed and subjected to abuse.
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