News Release
US Department of Labor recovers $355K in back wages for 108 workers after investigation of two Atlanta home healthcare agencies
Employers’ names: Schuetz Enterprises Inc., operating as Regency Home Care Georgia
1750 Old Spring House Lane
Atlanta, GA 30338
Edlyn Healthcare Services Inc.
1755 N. Brown Road, Ste. 200
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
Investigation site: Atlanta
Investigation findings: U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigators identified overtime violations by the two Atlanta home healthcare providers. The two employers combined failed to pay overtime to 108 workers when they worked more than 40 hours in a workweek. Regency Home Care Georgia paid its caregivers straight time for overtime hours by reducing the hourly pay rate when workers exceeded 40 hours in a workweek. Edlyn Healthcare Services Inc. paid its workers straight-time rates for overtime hours, instead of time-and-one-half rates. These actions violated the Fair Labor Standards Act’s overtime violations.
Back Wages Recovered: $228,464 for 61 workers at Regency Home Care Georgia
$127,084 for 47 workers at Edlyn Healthcare Services
“While they provide essential services to people in need, home healthcare workers are among our nation’s lowest wage earners. Their employers must pay them all of the wages they have legally earned,” said Wage and Hour District Director Steven Salazar in Atlanta. “Violations like those committed by Regency Home Care Georgia and Edlyn Healthcare Services are all-too-common in the home healthcare industry. Employers can easily avoid these violations by contacting a local Wage and Hour Division office for technical assistance.”
Background: Edlyn Healthcare Services Inc. and Schuetz Enterprises Inc. provide companionship and other services to individuals with disabilities.
The U.S. Department of Labor is working to protect the country’s professional caregivers through an ongoing education, outreach and enforcement initiative to ensure their employers pay them their rightful wages and honor all protections afforded them by law.
