Press Release  North Chelmsford Home Care Company Pays Penalties, Provides Restitution to Nearly 175 Employees for Failure to Pay Overtime and Travel Time

Boston — A privately-held home care company in North Chelmsford and its managers paid $217,335, including penalties and restitution to 175 employees, in a settlement with the AG’s Office over the employer’s failure to pay employees overtime and travel time for three years, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

According to the settlement, between August 2014 and August 2017, Petra Health Care LLC and its managers John and Joanne Wachira failed to pay employees for time spent traveling between client visits and for overtime.

“My office works hard to make sure that employers understand and comply with state wage and labor laws,” said AG Healey. “We are pleased that through this settlement, Petra’s employees will be paid what they are owed.”

The AG’s Fair Labor Division began its investigation after receiving a complaint from a former Petra employee alleging non-payment of wages.

AG Healey’s Fair Labor Division is responsible for enforcing state laws regulating the payment of wages, including prevailing wage, minimum wage, earned sick time and overtime laws.

In November 2017, Lawrence-based home health care company Maestro-Connections Home Health Systems, LLC and its sole manager George Kiongera agreed to pay more than $1 million in restitution and penalties after failing to pay overtime to more than 600 home health aides and failing to keep accurate payroll records.

Workers who believe that their rights have been violated in their workplace are encouraged to file a complaint at www.mass.gov/ago/wagetheft. For information about the state’s wage and hour laws, workers may call the Office’s Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465 or go to the Attorney General’s new Workplace Rights website www.mass.gov/ago/fairlabor for materials in multiple languages.

This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Lisa C. Price and Investigator Deborah Woodson, both of AG Healey’s Fair Labor Division.

###