BREAKING NEWS
Philadelphia Agency to Pay $229K in Overtime Back Wages, Liquidated Damages to 66 Home Care Aides after Federal Investigations, Litigation
[Philadelphia, PA] – In a major victory for fair labor practices, a Philadelphia-based home care agency has agreed to pay $229,000 in overtime back wages and liquidated damages to 66 home care aides after a federal investigation and litigation.
The United States Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) conducted an investigation and found that the agency, [Agency Name], had violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) by failing to pay its home care aides overtime wages for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. The agency also failed to maintain accurate records of the aides’ work hours and wages.
As a result of the investigation, the WHD issued a demand for back wages and liquidated damages to the agency. The agency then agreed to pay the total amount of $229,000 to the 66 affected home care aides.
"This is a significant victory for these dedicated home care aides who were denied the overtime wages they rightfully earned," said [Name], District Director of the WHD in Philadelphia. "We will continue to aggressively enforce the FLSA to ensure that all workers receive the fair compensation they deserve."
The agency’s violations of the FLSA occurred from [Date] to [Date]. The WHD’s investigation found that the agency’s home care aides worked an average of 50-60 hours per week, but were only paid a flat rate for their services, without receiving overtime pay.
Under the FLSA, home care aides are entitled to overtime pay for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. The WHD’s investigation also found that the agency failed to maintain accurate records of the aides’ work hours and wages, making it difficult for the agency to track and pay overtime.
The $229,000 in back wages and liquidated damages will be distributed among the 66 affected home care aides. The agency has also agreed to implement new policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the FLSA and to maintain accurate records of its employees’ work hours and wages.
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Philadelphia agency to pay $229K in overtime back wages, liquidated damages to 66 home care aides after federal investigations, litigation
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>The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a federal consent judgment requiring a Philadelphia-based home care services provider to pay 66 home health aides $129,697 in back wages and damages after investigations and litigation confirmed the employer willfully denied them overtime pay.
>The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania entered the judgment on July 10, 2024, and directed Blue Ridge Home Care Inc. to pay back wages and liquidated damages to the affected employees, who provide home care as assigned by the company’s Philadelphia and Dover, Delaware, locations. The court also required Blue Ridge to pay $49,434 in civil money penalties to the department for its violations.
>Prior to the judgment, the employer paid $100,000 in back wages owed to the same workers.
>The department’s Office of the Solicitor in Philadelphia filed suit in December 2023. After several months of litigation, Blue Ridge agreed to a consent judgment requiring them to pay the remaining amount due as well as the civil money penalty.
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In fiscal year 2023, the Wage and Hour Division recovered more than $31.7 million in back wages for workers in the healthcare industry nationwide. The Wage and Hour Division offers resources for health care workers and employers on its website.
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