MISSION HILLS, CA — A chain of Orange County, California nursing homes recently agreed to a settlement with the Department of Labor to resolve claims that the company broke several provisions of federal labor and wage laws, particularly failure to pay overtime wages. As part of the settlement, Verona Court, which operates facilities throughout Mission Hills and Laguna Niguel, will pay back a combined $173,539 in overtime and damages to 72 employees.
An investigation by the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division found that the facilities took an automatic deduction for employee lunch breaks despite the fact these workers frequently worked through these breaks. Furthermore, the employees were never compensated for the time spent attending mandatory training sessions for their jobs. As a result, the workers did not receive all their overtime pay for working more than 40 hours in a week.
In addition to failing to properly record employee hours worked, Verona Court only paid straight time when it did give workers overtime pay. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which sets national standards for minimum wage and overtime pay, companies must pay workers one and a half times the individuals average hourly rate of pay for overtime hours. Sadly, these types of illegal wage practices are all too common in the nursing home and assisted care facility industries.
“Thanks to this settlement, dozens of employees will be paid the wages they rightfully earned,” said Wage and Hour Division Director Rodolfo Cortez, in San Diego. “Working in tandem with our outreach efforts, enforcement like this helps to level the playing field for employers so that no company gains a competitive advantage in the workplace by failing to pay their employees properly.”
When companies commit wage theft, the FLSA gives them the right to hire an experienced unpaid overtime attorney to investigate their claims and file lawsuits to recover their back wages. The FLSA can recover up to three years of pay with interest, damages, and attorneys fees to cover the cost of litigation.
Nursing Home Worker Unpaid Overtime Lawsuit
Call (855) 754-2795 or complete the Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review form on the top right of this page if you feel that your wage rights are being violated under the FLSA. Our top-rated team of unpaid wage lawyers will evaluate your situation to determine your best course of action to help you seek justice.
Our office will also determine if it is in your best interest to file a lawsuit against your employer. Because strict time limitations apply for filing these types of claims, we advise you contact our experienced unpaid overtime wage attorneys at your earliest convenience and preserve your legal rights.