US Department of Labor recovers $24K in fringe benefits, paid sick leave for 13 employees of Virginia rehabilitation, nursing care center

Employer:                                          

Hopewell Operator LLC, operating as Wonder City Rehabilitation and Nursing Center

Employer Address:                           

905 Cousins Ave., Hopewell, VA 23860

Investigation findings:                      

An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division determined the employer violated federal law when it failed to pay the health and welfare benefits of two employees, provide paid sick leave to 11 employees and maintain accurate records,  in violation of the McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act and Executive Order 13706, “Establishing Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors.”

Fringe benefits recovered:               

$22,923 in health and welfare benefits for two employees.

Paid sick leave recovered:                

$1,860 in paid sick leave for eight employees and 24.67 hours of paid sick leave restored for three employees.

Quote:                                               

“Prevailing wage laws require federal contractors and subcontractors to pay employees accurately and ensure they receive all health and welfare benefits,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Roberto Melendez in Richmond, Virginia. “We encourage other employers in the nursing care and rehabilitation industry to evaluate their own pay practices to ensure they are in compliance with the law.”

Background:                                      

Wonder City Rehabilitation and Nursing Center provides adult day care to private citizens and U.S. military veterans and holds federal contracts with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division’s numerous online resources for employers, including websites for frequently asked questions on the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act, Executive Orders 13658, 13706, 14026and 14055, Government Contracts Compliance Assistance Toolkits, training and outreach, wage determination and conformances, and compliance assistance and enforcement processes. Employers and workers can also contact the Wage and Hour Division for assistance at its toll-free number, 1-866-4-US-WAGE.

Employers can contact CORPS - Community Outreach Resource Planning Specialists for compliance assistance and/or to schedule free outreach for federal employment laws. 

Workers can visit Workers Owed Wages, to determine if they think they may be owed back wages collected by the division. Workers and employers alike can help track their hours worked and pay by downloading the department’s Android and iOS Timesheet App for free in English or Spanish.