Health & Fitness
Newark Nursing Center Cheated 174 Workers, Will Pay $260K: Feds
The healthcare employees worked hard, sometimes past their scheduled shifts. But they didn't get paid for all their hours, officials allege.
NEWARK, NJ — They worked hard – often beyond what their schedules called for – making sure that they transferred care appropriately, wrote notes and secured medication. But despite their dedication to the job, 174 healthcare employees at a Newark nursing center got cheated out of $130,000 worth of wages, federal officials say.
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) released details of a settlement with Sinai Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare LLC, a nursing and rehabilitation center in Newark.
As part of the settlement, Sinai Center will pay $130,000 in back wages and $130,000 in liquidated damages to 174 employees to resolve violations of overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), officials said.
Find out what's happening in Newarkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
According to a statement from the WHD:
“Investigators determined Sinai Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare LLC - doing business as Sinai Post-Acute Nursing and Rehab Center - failed to pay for all of the hours employees worked. Instead, the employer paid employees only for their scheduled shifts, or for extra time that had been approved in advance, without regard to the hours they actually worked. Employees often worked beyond their scheduled shifts to transfer care appropriately, write notes, and secure medication. Additionally, the company failed to record accurate numbers of hours worked on payroll records.”
“We are hopeful that settlements like this one will call attention to these common violations in the healthcare industry and remind other employers that they must comply with the law,” said Regional Solicitor Jeffrey Rogoff.
Find out what's happening in Newarkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
For more information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the Wage and Hour Division, contact the toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Employers who discover overtime or minimum wage violations may self-report and resolve those violations without litigation through the PAID program, officials said.
Don’t forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page here. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com
Photo: Google Maps
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
