News Brief
US Department of Labor recovers $39K in back wages for 28 workers after uncovering overtime violations by Mississippi home healthcare agency
Employer: Open Heart Senior Home Care LLC
Investigation site: 615 Market St.
Port Gibson, MS 39150
Investigation findings: U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigators found the employer paid straight-time rates to employees for hours over 40 in a workweek, and failed to pay the extra half-time rate as the Fair Labor Standards Act requires. The employer coded these hours under different categories such as training and employee appreciation.
Back Wages Recovered: $39,410 in back wages for 28 workers.
Quote: “The healthcare industry is expanding quickly as the demand for services from an aging population grows. Unfortunately, we find wage violations all-too-commonly when industry employers shortchange workers’ wages,” explained Wage and Hour Division District Director Audrey Hall in Jackson, Mississippi. “Workers denied the full wages then must work harder to support themselves and their families. The Department of Labor exists to hold employers accountable when they fail to meet their obligations.”
“In a growing economy and industry, employers who fail to pay rightful wages to workers may find it more difficult to retain and recruit the people they need to do the jobs necessary to help their businesses succeed,” Hall added. “We encourage employers to contact the Wage and Hour Division to avoid compliance issues.”
Background: Employers can contact the Wage and Hour Division at its toll-free number, 1-866-4-US-WAGE. The division also offers numerous online resources for employers, such as a fact sheet on Fair Labor Standards Act wage laws overtime requirements. Workers who feel they may not be getting the wages they earned may contact a Wage and Hour Division representative in their state through a list and interactive online map on the agency’s website.
