In the case of Richards v. Schoen Trust Company, Rianna Richards and Jane Wangari were caregivers for Gene Henseler. The two caregivers claimed that Schoen Trust Company, the successor of Mr. Henseler’s estate and trustee of Heneseler Living Trust, had failed to pay them both the minimum wage and overtime compensation.
When this case was initially filed in 2022, Schoen Trust Company had pushed for a summary judgment (judgment against one party without a full trial). This was dismissed and after some time engaging in discovery (obtaining proof), both parties reached a settlement agreement in 2023.
The settlement stated that Schoen Trust will have to pay the caregivers a total of $254,000 if the caregivers revoke their claims related to Mr. Henseler. Caregivers Richards and Wangari received $168,000 and $86,000 respectively.
The court approved this settlement, and the case was dismissed.
Key lessons from this case:
- Settlement agreements are an excellent way to solve disputes, but they should be reviewed by all the parties involved.
- Caregivers are also entitled to overtime compensation as any other non-exempt employee would be.
- This case highlights the importance of correctly classifying employees to ensure compliance with laws.
If you want to know more about overtime regulations, read our guide on Washington Overtime Laws.
