Court orders Arizona business to pay $521K in back wages to 253 employees

PHOENIX — An Arizona-based home care provider has been ordered to pay over $521,000 in back wages and liquidated damages to 253 employees.

Urgent Home Care Inc, which gives in-home care to older adults, denied employees overtime by only paying straight-time rates for overtime hours worked, according to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The department also found that the employer wasn’t keeping a log of the time employees spent traveling between clients’ residences and wouldn’t pay them for it.

An investigation into Urgent Home Care in 2016 found the company violated similar overtime requirements, resulting in a $24,222 civil money penalty for willful and repeat violations.

“Urgent Home Care has again been found violating the rights of the workers who provide essential services to people in need,” Wage and Hour Division Director Eric Murray said.

“The court’s order and the outcome of our investigation sends the clear message that the U.S. Department of Labor will use its enforcement powers to recover workers’ hard-earned wages and hold those who deliberately engage in wage theft accountable.”

The consent judgement further prohibited Urgent Home Care from retaliating against any employee who exercises their FLSA rights, while also forbidding future violations of overtime and recordkeeping requirements.

“As employers continue to struggle to find the people they need to fill open positions, those who fail to respect workers’ rights will find it harder to retain and recruit employees than employers who do,” Murray said.

Employees with questions were asked to call the toll-free helpline at 866-487-9243.

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