Department of Labor recovers $98K in back wages, damages from residential care provider that misclassified workers, denied overtime pay in Pittsburgh

Employer name:       Sunrise Residential Care Services LLC

Employer address:    8801 Bricelyn St., Pittsburgh, PA 15221

Investigative Findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found the employer misclassified two workers as independent contractors and failed to pay them an overtime premium for hours over 40 in a workweek. The employer also did not maintain daily and weekly hours worked records for the misclassified workers or identify accurate rates of pay on the payroll records.

Back wages recovered:         $49,310

Liquidated damages:            $49,310

Workers affected:                   Two

Quote: “Failing to properly classify workers as employees and not independent contractors denies them from receiving all of their hard-earned wages, benefits, and protections under federal law,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director John DuMont in Pittsburgh. “We can assist employers and workers in determining if a worker should be classified as an independent contractor or as an employee.”

Background: Sunrise Residential Care Services LLC provides unskilled health care services for individuals with dementia and disabilities and operates 10 residences in the greater Pittsburgh area.

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. The department can speak with callers confidentially in more than 200 languages through the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Download the agency’s new Timesheet App for i-OS and Android devices – also available in Spanish – to ensure hours and pay are accurate.