Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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RICHMOND, Va -- A consent judgment issued by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia has ordered Abby Home Care, Inc. d/b/a Welcome Home Care and its president and owner, William Snodgrass to pay $81,670 in back wages and interest to 62 registered and licensed practical nurses to correct overtime violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act cited by the U.S. Labor Department. Located in Richmond, Abby Home Care provides skilled in-home nursing care to clients and staffing to nursing homes and prisons.

An investigation by the Richmond District Office of the Wage and Hour Division determined that the company was not paying overtime to 62 nurses, some of whom were working as many as 80 hours per week from Feb. 2, 2002 through Sept. 13, 2003. The company also failed to maintain an accurate record of employees' time.

"The Department of Labor is committed to strong enforcement of laws to ensure that workers are paid correctly for all hours worked," said Corlis Sellers, regional administrator of the Wage and Hour Northeast Region. "Companies need to know the law and adhere to it."

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires that covered employees be paid one-and-one half times their regular rates of pay for all hours worked over 40 in a single work-week, and requires employers to maintain adequate and accurate records of employees' wages, hours and other conditions.

For more information on federal pay requirements or other provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, visit the agency's website at www.wagehour.dol.gov, call the Department's toll-free help line at 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243) or the Richmond Wage and Hour Division Office at (804) 771-2995.

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U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office upon request. Please specify which news release when placing your request at (202) 693-7828 or TTY (202) 693-7755. The Labor Department is committed to providing America’s employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/compliance.