Department of Labor recovers $129K in wages, damages for 26 home healthcare workers denied overtime by employer

Employer:      Family Hands Adult Care Facility LLC 

                        10016 LaSalle Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90047                                                                                                     

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found that Family Hands Adult Care Facility, operator of three residential care facilities for special needs patients in Los Angeles, blatantly disregarded the overtime pay requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Investigators determined the employer paid regular hourly rates to employees for overtime hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. During the review, owner Tina Scruggs-Tate told investigators that she did not maintain employee time records despite the fact that workers used identification numbers and fingerprints to clock in and out of work daily.

Back Wages Recovered:       $64,800 in unpaid overtime for 26 employees

                                                $64,800 in liquidated damages for 26 employees

                                                $9,684 in civil money penalties for willful violations

Quote: “The U.S. Department of Labor too often finds residential care employers taking advantage of vulnerable workers who provide critical services for people in need,” said Wage and Hour Division Assistant District Director Susan Bacon in Los Angeles. “Family Hands Adult Care Facility’s flagrant denial of required overtime pay violated the rights of employees to be paid fully. We will hold such bad actors to account for their workplace abuse and exploitation.”

Background: In 2023, the division’s Los Angeles District Office completed 12 investigations of care industry employers, recovered more than $983,000 in wages and liquidated damages for care workers and conducted 14 educational outreach events for this industry. 

Workers can use the division's Workers Owed Wages search tool to see if they are owed back wages collected by the division. Employers and workers can contact the Wage and Hour Division for help and assistance at its toll-free number 1-866-4-US-WAGE. Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division.  Workers and employers alike can help ensure hours worked and pay are accurate by downloading the department’s Android and IOS Timesheet App for free in English or Spanish.