A federal court entered a civil consent judgment that required Waterford-based homecare service business CareCo Shoreline Inc., and its owner Helga Pfanner, to pay $92,150 in back wages and liquidated damages to in-home caregivers, according to federal authorities and court documents.
The matter follows a civil investigation and litigation by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Authorities said the back wages and liquidated damages cover the period from March 24, 2018 to Aug. 10, 2019 and have been paid, adding that the “department’s Wage and Hour Division is distributing them to the affected employees.” The payments are to 107 in-home caregivers, according to federal authorities.
“Due to the violations’ willful and repeated nature, CareCo and Pfanner have also paid $80,000 in civil money penalties to the department,” federal authorities said in a statement.
Authorities said the consent judgment came in the “wake of the department prevailing on its motion for partial summary judgment, in which the court granted summary judgment on CareCo’s overtime violations based on its own records, CareCo’s liability for liquidated damages and the willfulness of those overtime violations.”
“Caregivers work long hours, performing vital services for people in need. They deserve and have the right to be paid all the wages they have earned for their hard work,” said Wage and Hour Division district director for Hartford Donald Epifano in an email. “Violations like those found in this case, which...
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