The US Department of Labor has successfully retrieved $260,221 in unpaid wages for 61 caregivers who are employed by a nurse registry employment agency in Florida called CSI Catalano’s Nurses Registry Inc. (CSI). The corporation failed to pay the mandatory time-and-a-half compensation for overtime hours and instead misclassified the caregivers as independent contractors, therefore only paying them straight-time wages for hours worked.
The FLSA has been deemed to have been broken by the employer. The matter was resolved by a consent decision that also forbade further offenses.
Key lessons from this case:
- Like any other worker, caregivers deserve the appropriate compensation when it comes to the job they do and the hours they work. Employers are responsible for ensuring fair working conditions to benefit employees and avoid disputes.
- Employees must ensure that they are aware of their position, job responsibilities as well as rights to certain benefits or overtime compensations.
- Misclassification is a common issue. Employers should regularly review roles and pay practices to stay compliant.
If you want to know more about overtime regulations, read our guide on Florida Overtime Laws.
