US Department of Labor recovers more than $73K for 256 healthcare workers at Pennsylvania, Maryland facilities following investigation

WESTMINSTER, MD – A Westminster healthcare management company, a large employer in long-term care and rehabilitation, could have shown more care when paying 256 essential workers at four facilities in Pennsylvania and one in Maryland.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found Transitions Healthcare LLC violated the Fair Labor Standards Act when it failed to pay required overtime to employees who worked over 40 hours in a workweek. The employer violated the law by failing to include earned bonuses in the calculation of overtime pay, including sign-on bonuses, retention bonuses and bonuses for working extra shifts. Excluding these amounts resulted in the employer paying overtime at rates lower than those required by law.

Transitions Healthcare LLC will pay back wages to workers at the following locations:

“Transitions Healthcare shortchanged essential workers at a time when people employed in the healthcare industry have faced risks to themselves and their families,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director John DuMont in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “Had this employer properly incorporated all bonuses paid, they would have paid these workers their full wages and avoided violations. We encourage any employers with questions to reach out to us for help. Violations like those in this case can be avoided.”

Based in Westminster, Transitions Healthcare LLC manages certain operations of nursing home, assisted living and adult day care facilities, and continuing care retirement communities in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

For more information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the agency, contact the division’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division.