The owners of four California assisted living facilities will pay $86,486 to 19 employees to resolve overtime violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Department of Labor has announced.
Adriana Elderly Care Homes Inc., based in Mission Viejo, CA, did not pay caregivers overtime when they worked more than 40 hours in a work week in its residential care facilities for the elderly, according to investigators from the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division. Instead, employees reportedly were paid per-day flat rates, regardless of the number of hours they worked.
This practice, according to the Labor Department, also meant that the company did not record the number of hours actually worked by employees, which resulted in recordkeeping violations.
“The U.S. Department of Labor encourages all employers to review their pay practices and to take advantage of the many resources we offer to assist them,” Wage and Hour Division Assistant District Director Justin Emerick said. “Employers must pay their employees for all of the hours that they work.”
The company’s owners will pay the caregivers $43,243 in overtime back wages and will pay an equal amount in liquidated damages.
