Shrewsbury Motel Owner Cited For Wage, Sick Time Violations: AG

SHREWSBURY, MA — The company that owns a Shrewsbury motel and is linked other properties in the area has been cited and told to pay penalties and restitution after an investigation found various labor law violations, the state Attorney General’s office said Tuesday.

Azad Shrewsbury LLC — doing business as the Worcester City Motel located along Route 9 — was cited alongside Red Roof Inn-branded motels in Sutton and Woburn in connection with allegations that the motels failed to pay workers timely wages and provide sick time, among other violations, the AG said.

Managers Ketan Patel, Charles Minasian and Robert Parsekian were also cited, according to the AG. The motel owners will have to pay over $65,000 in restitution and penalties, the AG's office said.

“Our Fair Labor Division works hard to ensure that employers are complying with the state’s wage and hour laws, and that workers know their rights,” Acting Attorney General Bessie Dewar said in a statement. “As a result of this settlement, the workers who were harmed by this company’s unlawful actions will get the money they earned.”

The Worcester City Motel and the two Red Roof Inn locations are organized under separate limited liability corporations. Each list Patel, Minasian and Parsekian as managers on state corporations documents. Patel, Minasian and Parsekian are all also managers of Azad Legacy Partners LLC, a Lexington-based real estate investment, development and management firm.

Patch has reached out to Patel, Minasian and Parsekian and will update with any response.

The AG’s office said its Fair Labor Division launched an investigation after fielding a complaint that said employees were not being paid for all hours worked and working long hours with little rest or break time. The complaint also said employees were working with an unpredictable pay schedule, according to the AG.

The AG’s office said it found one employee who was owed just under $35,000 in wages. The investigation also found the motels’ sick leave policy violated state law by providing unpaid leave only after a year of employment, according to the AG.

State law requires employers with more than 11 employees to provide paid sick leave. Sick leave must also be job-protected under state law after 90 days of employment, the AG’s office noted.
The AG’s office said violations in Shrewsbury, Sutton and Woburn impacted 36 employees.