The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $141,262 in back wages and damages for 28 workers employed by Solid Care Home Health Inc., a Dallas-area home healthcare provider. The recovery follows an investigation by the Department's Wage and Hour Division, which found that the company had violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
According to the investigation, Solid Care Home Health paid its non-exempt employees straight time for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek, instead of the required time-and-a-half pay stipulated by FLSA regulations. Additionally, the company failed to maintain proper timekeeping and personnel records.
The total amount recovered includes $70,631 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages.
"Home healthcare employees are among the nation’s hardest-working, lowest-paid workers and their employers must pay them all of their earned wages," said Wage and Hour District Director Jesus A. Valdez in Dallas. "Employers should review their payroll practices to avoid compliance issues and the costly consequences of violating the law and contact the Wage and Hour Division with questions."
For more information about the Wage and Hour Division, including tools to determine if you may be owed back wages or how to file an online complaint, visit their website. For confidential compliance assistance, employees and employers can call the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). The agency also offers a Timesheet App for iOS and Android devices – available in Spanish – to help ensure accurate tracking of hours worked and pay received.
