Katelyn Walker Mooney Acting Assistant Secretary for Policy | Official Website
Working beyond the standard 40-hour workweek, a care worker in Augusta successfully claimed $11,000 in back wages after contacting the U.S. Department of Labor regarding unpaid overtime. Such cases are common in the healthcare industry, where workers often do not receive their full legal wages due to employer mistakes or intentional actions.
To address these issues and educate stakeholders in the Southeast's care industries, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is organizing an online panel on November 20. This event will focus on federal rights and obligations for home care and nursing care employers and workers. The discussion will be held in collaboration with the department’s Women’s Bureau and feature representatives from OSHA, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the IRS. It coincides with National Home Care and Hospice Month.
The panel titled “Caring for those who care: Compliance tips for the home health and nursing care industries” aims to improve compliance among employers across several states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Participants will learn about federal protections for care industry workers and receive compliance tips along with free resources. Registration is required but attendance is free.
“Our ability to provide care for our nation’s most vulnerable people relies on truly dedicated workers whose concern and expertise demands they be paid all of their hard-earned wages,” stated Juan Coria, Regional Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division in Atlanta. He highlighted that many care workers remain underpaid despite their crucial roles.
In fiscal year 2024 alone, nearly 400 investigations were conducted by the Wage and Hour Division within healthcare industries resulting in over $4.1 million recovered in back wages for more than 2,400 Southeast workers. Additionally, over $115,000 in civil penalties were imposed on healthcare employers found violating regulations.
This initiative seeks to educate both workers and communities about their rights to minimum wage and overtime pay while addressing misclassification as independent contractors—a practice depriving many of rightful earnings.
“This presentation is just one part of our ongoing work to reduce wage violations,” Coria noted further emphasizing available online compliance resources which remain accessible at no cost.
While this specific presentation won't be recorded multiple assistance resources exist ensuring employers avoid violations using tools such as helplines providing confidential multilingual support alongside digital applications aiding accurate timesheet management.
