PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (WTAJ) — A Pennsylvania-based home care agency has been ordered by a federal judge to pay $129,697 in back wages to 66 caregivers.
Blue Ridge HomeCare, based in Philadelphia and Dover, Delaware, was ordered to pay back wages and damages after an investigation found that the company knowingly denied overtime pay to 66 home care workers.
Additionally, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ordered the company to pay $49,434 in civil penalties to the U.S. Department of Labor. Prior to the judgment, the Department of Labor said Blue Ridge had already paid $100,000 in unpaid wages to the same 66 workers.
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“Home care professionals provide critical services that enhance the quality of life for some of our community’s most vulnerable members. They deserve respect and should be adequately compensated for their work,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director James J. Cain. “Following our investigation, we found that Blue Ridge Home Care failed to pay overtime due to dozens of caregivers in its employ. We have taken action to recover unpaid wages and damages averaging more than $3,400 for each of the 66 affected workers.”
The ministry’s investigation found that the company’s president, Tunji Ogunmola, admitted to negotiating with employees for an additional $1 to $1.50 an hour on top of their regular wages in order to avoid paying federally mandated overtime.
“The U.S. Department of Labor will not hesitate to take employers to federal court to recover unpaid wages and damages, and to protect the rights and protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act,” said District Attorney Samantha Thomas. “The outcome of this case demonstrates that employers can pay a high price when they violate federal overtime pay regulations.”
Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including search tools you can use if you believe unpaid wages collected by the division may be unpaid and how to file a complaint online. For confidential compliance assistance, employees and employers can call the division’s toll-free helpline from anywhere at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).
