Pennsylvania nonprofit pays nearly $45K in back wages to 80 employees after US Department of Labor finds overtime violations

GREENVILLE, PA – Every two weeks, supervisors and behavior specialists gathered at Keystone Adolescent Center Inc.’s five Greenville facilities where they discussed policy changes, completed required training and reviewed safety procedures – all to be prepared to help at-risk youth they serve.

The employer also used the gathering to distribute paychecks, yet failed to pay 80 workers who attended these meetings and required trainings outside of their regular shifts for the time they spent at them. A U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation determined that – by excluding this work time from employees’ pay – Keystone Adolescent violated the Fair Labor Standards Act, and led to the recovery of $44,858 in back wages for the workers.

Investigators found that Keystone Adolescent paid employees for time spent at staff meetings and required trainings only if those meetings and trainings occurred during their scheduled shifts. The employer failed to pay workers attending outside of their normal work hours for time they spent in those meetings and required trainings. Failing to record and pay for this time violated FLSA overtime and recordkeeping requirements.

“Employers must pay employees all the wages they legally earn, which includes paying them for any hours they work outside of their scheduled shifts,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director John DuMont in Pittsburgh. “We encourage all employers to use the wide variety of compliance assistance tools we offer to ensure they are complying with the law, and avoid violations like those found in this case. We also invite them to call us to speak directly with a trained Wage and Hour professional for confidential assistance.”

Keystone Adolescent paid the overtime wages owed to employees at five Greenville locations as follows:

• Keystone Female Services, 95 South Race St.: $11,650 in back wages to 23 workers.
• Keystone Education Center, 425 South Good Hope Road: $13,309 in back wages to 21 workers.
• Keystone Transitional Living-Female, 95 South Race St.: $2,805 in back wages to five workers.
• Keystone Adolescent Center, 60 South Race St.: $10,171 in back wages to 22 workers.
• Keystone Transitional Living-Male, 52 Sharon Road: $6,923 in back wages to nine workers.

Founded in 1993, Keystone Adolescent Center Inc. provides community based programs that offer behavior modification, therapeutic counseling, and educational opportunities for at-risk adolescents. The employer also provides 24-hour care and supervision for delinquent and dependent youth throughout western Pennsylvania.   

For more information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the division, contact the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Information is also available at www.dol.gov/agencies/whd, including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division.