D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine announced that D.C. will sue a health care company that allegedly failed to pay staff the correct amount of overtime and hazard pay.
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, D.C.-based Azure Healthcare Services implemented a policy where it would “lock down” its six support homes that cared for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This required staff to stay at the facilities for two weeks.
The complaint alleges that employees were “on call” and were expected to be working and available to residents for the full 24 hours of each day of their two-week shifts. They would then get two weeks off.
The suit says Azure failed to pay for six hours of work per day to each employee during this policy. Under D.C. law, the overtime would be 1.5 times their normal pay.
Employees were also informed by Azure during a Zoom call that they would receive an additional $3 an hour as hazard pay. The suit says they also did not receive that compensation.
The owners of Azure sold the six facilities in June 2021, after allegedly informing staff they would not receive the back pay that was owed.
“Denying caregivers and health care workers their hard-earned wages — during the world’s deadliest pandemic — is shameful, illegal, and morally reprehensible,” Racine said in a statement.
“These workers stepped up and did their jobs — working long hours at the company’s request during an unprecedented time for patients in need. They deserve to get paid for that work,” he added. “Azure Healthcare Services and its former owners prioritized profits over their employees’ livelihoods and well-being and they must be held accountable.”
The lawsuit seeks damages for employees, penalties and an injunction against Azure for violating D.C. law.
