Amazon Contractor Cited for Failing to Pay Wages of Dedham and Chelsea Factory Workers

DEDHAM, MA - A Florida-based company and its owner have been cited by the Attorney General's office over $80,000 in restitution and penalties for failing to pay their employees in a timely manner.

VHU Express, Inc. and its owner, Lisa Bythewood, were hired by Amazon Logistics, Inc. to provide delivery services for two warehouses in Chelsea and Dedham. In January, the AG's office received a referral from the state Council on the Underground Economy that workers had not received wages for several weeks of pay. The investigation determined that from December 2015 to February 2016, a total of 52 employees had not been paid for work performed delivering Amazon packages, according to the AG's office.

State law requires employers to pay most employees within six days of the end of the pay period during which the wages were earned.

“Companies are required by state law to pay the wages they owe their employees in a timely manner,” AG Healey said in a release. “We will continue to advocate on behalf of Massachusetts workers to make sure they know their rights and are not exploited by unfair employment practices.”

Amazon has agreed to pay more than $80,000 in restitution and penalties on behalf of VHU Express, Inc. and Bythewood.

Information in this article was provided by the Massachusetts Attorney General's office.