Montgomery County home health-care agency owes workers over $800,000 for failing to pay overtime

A Montgomery County home health-care agency failed to pay workers overtime, according to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor. The company was ordered to pay $810,320 in back wages and damages to 196 workers, according to a consent judgment.

Wyncote Wellness LLC paid employees with separate checks for each client, instead of grouping their hours together, the DOL investigation found. The company paid for overtime when workers were employed over 40 hours with a single client.

The investigation also found that workers often reported working more hours than they were paid for and were not paid for the time spent traveling between clients. The company also failed to properly record hours employees worked, the DOL found.

"Home health-care workers provide vital services to the most vulnerable members of our communities, and their work deserves respect and fair compensation," James Cain, DOL's wage and hour division district director in Philadelphia, said in a statement. "This enforcement action will help to ensure workers are paid their total earnings and remind other employers of their obligations under the law."

The company will pay $810,320 in back wages and damages to employees for violations that occurred between Aug. 12, 2019, and Aug. 7, 2022, according to court documents. The money owed to employees ranges from $22 to $26,319 according to a spokesperson for the DOL. The company will also pay a $10,000 civil fine.

The company did not respond to requests for comment.

The Philadelphia area has seen several overtime wage violations in the home health-care industry in recent years. A key issue is that Medicaid doesn't pay agencies extra for overtime in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, The Inquirer reported in 2022. Overtime is hard to avoid because of the shortage of health-care workers.