The Department of Labor has reached a wage theft settlement with Rhode Island’s second largest hospital and Care New England Health System to recover a total of $1.9 million in back wages and liquidated damages for 853 healthcare workers who had to work through their breaks but were not paid properly for those hours.
The Department of Labor found that Kent County Memorial Hospital in Warwick automatically deducted 30-minute breaks from hours employees worked even though staffing needs kept them from taking those breaks. The Department of Labor found employees in the emergency room and other departments worked more than 40 hours in a workweek but were not properly compensated when they worked through their breaks.
“The Department of Labor is eager to return the $1.9 million in wages and liquidated damages we recovered to the workers who put their needs second and delivered essential care to the many people in Rhode Island who suffered during the pandemic,” said a Department of Labor spokesperson. “An administrative resolution like this allows affected workers to collect their hard-earned wages promptly.”
The DOL recovered $100,000 in civil money penalties from the hospital and Care New England Health System given the willful nature of the violations. As part of the settlement, which spans from July 30, 2019, through Dec. 31, 2022, the hospital has agreed to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act and has made substantial changes in their timekeeping practices to prevent future violations of federal recordkeeping requirements.
If you are working through lunch and not receiving pay, you might be a victim of wage theft. If you have questions about your rights as a worker, contact the attorneys of Pechman Law Group at 212-583-9500. We have recovered over $30 million for victims of wage theft.
