In January 2012, King’s Daughters and Sons Home, located in Bartlett, Tenn., agreed to pay $54,081 in back wages to 66 current and former employees following a U.S. Department of Labor investigation that found violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s overtime provisions. The Bartlett nursing home provides residential services to individuals with physical disabilities.
The Wage and Hour Division of the DOL determined that even though employees had worked through their meal breaks the employer had deducted 30 minutes per day from their work hours for those periods. This failure to pay for all hours worked resulted in employees not receiving one and one-half times their regular rates of pay for hours beyond 40 in a week, as required by the FLSA.
The goal of the FLSA is to ensure that employees who put in an honest day’s work receive an honest day’s pay. Health care workers are among the lowest-paid employees in the nation, and this employer profited by paying these vulnerable individuals less than they were legally due under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The FLSA protects not only workers but also employers who depend on the enforcement of the law to ensure that no company receives an unfair advantage by dodging the law. Workers at other similar facilities should take notice and ensure that they are being paid in compliance with the FLSA.
The FLSA requires that covered employees be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 for all hours worked, plus time and one-half their regular rates of pay, including commissions, bonuses and incentive pay, for hours worked beyond 40 per week. Employers must also maintain accurate time and payroll records.
Our firm will prosecute class and collective actions on behalf of aggrieved employees. We will undertake any litigation arising from this investigation on a contingent fee basis. If a lawsuit is filed as a result of this investigation, we will only seek payment of any fees from recovery generated by the lawsuit. This means any fee we receive will be paid by the defendant or out of any settlement or judgment recovered. Likewise, all costs will be advanced by us. If an action is filed and not successful, you would not be responsible for any of our fees or costs. If you wish to discuss this investigation and any potential legal options you may have, or if you have any questions please contact our law office.
You may contact the Law Offices of Rose H. Robbins for a free consultation to see if you have a case for unpaid overtime or minimum wages by calling (954) 946-8130 or by filling out the confidential “contact us” form below which will arrive at our law offices instantly. You may email us too: rose (at) roserobbins.com If our office decides to accept your case and we enter into a written, signed retainer agreement you will not have to pay anything unless we win your case. Appointments are available at various locations in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties.
