Workers Paid More Than $200K in Back Wages, Damages

The owner of seven residential care facilities in San Mateo, Burlingame and South San Francisco has paid more than $200,000 in back wages and damages after an investigation found she had failed to pay employees minimum wages or overtime, U.S. Department of Labor officials said today.

Adora Ancheta has entered into an administrative settlement and paid $101,791 in back wages and an additional $101,791 in damages to 53 employees for a two-year period between 2012 and 2014, according to the labor department.

Ancheta owns facilities including Tricia’s Care Home, Kelly’s Home, Cortez Home and Shoreview Home in San Mateo; Albright Home and Olympic Home in South San Francisco; and Flora’s Home in Burlingame.

Investigators found that the employees, who care for elderly, ill and disabled clients, were paid flat monthly salaries that often amounted to less than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Some worked more than 40 hours in a week without overtime pay. Ancheta also failed to keep accurate records of work hours and pay and incorrectly classified some employees as independent contractors rather than employees, labor department officials said.

The labor department has completed a series of such investigations in the Bay Area since 2011, resulting in orders to pay more than $6.8 million in back wages to more than 1,350 residential care workers.

“These hardworking employees, who care for our loved ones, must be paid what they are due,” said Susana Blanco, district director for the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division in San Francisco. “The division continues to fight this disturbing wage violation trend in residential care facilities, which harms workers and their families.”

The workers included in the settlement with Ancheta were all Filipino.

Labor department officials said it is common for recent immigrants to be severely underpaid in the residential care industry. “Recent immigrants are often extremely vulnerable, both because of a language issue and also because they don’t know the local law and don’t know who they can go to for help,” said Michael Eastwood, assistant district director for the San Francisco office.

Eastwood said the industry historically has operated by paying workers flat salaries and keeping minimal records, but a recent crackdown by federal officials has led to significant change.

“We’re seeing a huge shift in the industry,” Eastwood said. “The folks who are still continuing to pay folks wrong probably know there’s a problem.” Efforts to reach Ancheta for comment this morning were unsuccessful.

--Bay City News