Staffing Company Pays $9.3 Million for Overtime Pay in Pennsylvania

Employees at Staffing Company are Entitled to Overtime Pay

A staffing company in Philadelphia has agreed to a judgment requiring them to pay $9.3 million in back wages and overtime pay in Pennsylvania to 1,756 employees and former employees. See the press release here. The staffing company hired workers who were sent to staff jobs in various healthcare-related industries in and around Philadelphia. In many cases, the staffing company simply refused to compensate employees and pay overtime when a worker exceeded 40 hours in a given work week. In other cases, the employer blatantly misclassified the workers as “independent contractors” even though they met the definition of “employee” under federal and state law. In yet other cases, it was determined that the staffing company claimed to its workers that it was merely a “registry” company and that they were actually employed by the companies where the workers did their job duties.

Independent Contractor Misclassification

There are many lessons from the case that employees should know. The first lesson is, if your employer says you are an “independent contractor” and not entitled to overtime pay and other rights as a worker, do NOT take their word for it. Misclassifying a worker as an independent contractor is one of the most common ways that employers cheat workers out of their overtime pay and other benefits. If you think this has happened — or is happening — to you, call us here at Herrmann Law. We are driven and experienced Employee Rights Lawyers and Wage and Hour Litigators who can help you vindicate your rights. Call us at (817) 479-9229. We offer legal representation for employees and punish employers for wage and hour violations all across the country.

Employees in Pennsylvania are Entitled to Overtime Pay

The second lesson is this: employees are entitled to their overtime pay in Pennsylvania. Employers cannot “escape” their responsibilities by paying an employee a salary or claiming an employee is salary-exempt to avoid paying overtime pay. Employers must pay their employees overtime when the employees work more than 40 hours in a workweek. The solution is to consult top-tier pro-employee lawyers and bring wage and hour claims. It may take some time, but you WILL get your back pay and liquidated damages. The staffing company in Philadelphia cheated its workers out of back wages and overtime and ended up paying that and $4,650,000 in damages allowed by law.

The third lesson is this: employers who violate federal and State labor laws WILL be punished and punished severely. As noted, the Philadelphia staffing company paid $9.3 million to settle and finalize the investigation conducted by the Department of Justice. Further, if you hire private lawyers to help vindicate your rights, generally, the employer will end up paying your lawyers’ attorneys’ fees.

The fourth lesson is this: employers who willfully and knowingly violate the rights of employees will pay more — in the form of punitive damages. In the staffing company’s case, they ended up paying an extra $700,000 because the DOJ determined that they had willfully violated the law.

The final lesson is this: do NOT be afraid to insist upon your rights as an employee, and do NOT be afraid to call a workers’ rights lawyer for help.

Call the Employee Rights Attorneys at Herrmann Law Today

For more information, call the Employee Rights attorneys at Herrmann Law. If you think that your employer has violated your rights as an employee, call us. We are proven, experienced, employee-focused attorneys representing workers across the United States in all types of workplace disputes. Use our Online Contact page or call us at (817) 479-9229. We are more than just a law firm for employees – we are an employee’s fiercest advocate, equipping employees with the legal representation needed to achieve the best result possible.