Julie Su Acting United States Secretary of Labor | Official Website
The Department of Labor has successfully recovered $538K in back wages and damages from a Maryland residential rehabilitation provider, Divine Connect Care Inc., for 37 landscaping workers who were denied full pay. The investigation revealed that the employer failed to pay non-exempt direct support staff the required overtime premium for hours worked over 40 in a week, as well as failed to pay one employee for all hours worked.
John L. DuMont, the Wage and Hour Division District Director in Pittsburgh, expressed, “Our investigators found Divine Connect Care failed to pay dozens of employees all of their legally earned wages. Direct support staff, like in-home care workers, deserve to be paid every dollar they’re owed. The Department of Labor is determined to act on their behalf when employers fail to meet their obligations.”
The recovered amount includes $269,321 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages for the affected employees. The violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act were identified through the diligent efforts of the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division.
Individuals seeking more information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the Wage and Hour Division are encouraged to contact the division’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243) or utilize the search tool available on the division's website to determine if they may be owed back wages.
