U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Results in Overtime Back Wages For Elder Care Employees in California

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Following a U.S. Department of Labor investigation, Laura and Carole Nobis – owners of Nobis Care Homes – have paid $194,275 in back wages to 13 caregivers and cooks to resolve Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) violations.

Investigators with the Department’s Wage and Hour Division found that Laura and Carole Nobis failed to pay employees for hours they worked beyond 40 in a work week. The Department’s investigation found that the employees regularly worked an average of 60 hours per week, but payroll records showed workers were paid only for 40 hours.

“This investigation demonstrates our determination to ensure that employees receive their rightfully earned wages,” said the Department’s Wage and Hour Division District Director Susana Blanco, in San Francisco. “We are also committed to protecting workers and leveling the playing field to prevent employers that violate the law from gaining an unfair competitive advantage over those that play by the rules.”

The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office opened a separate criminal investigation of Nobis Care Homes for worker’s compensation fraud associated with the company’s failure to accurately report the number of employees working. The criminal case resulted in Nobis paying additional penalties to the California Employment Development Department and other state agencies.

Nobis Care Homes is a residential care company serving elderly clients. The company operates one home in South San Francisco, one in San Francisco, and three in San Bruno.

The FLSA requires that employees receive one-and-one-half times their regular rates of pay when they work more than 40 hours in a work week and that employers maintain adequate and accurate records of employees’ wages and work hours.

Employees and employers with questions about the FLSA or any of the federal wage laws administered by the Division should call the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). All calls are confidential. More information is available online at http://www.dol.gov/whd/.