The Attorney General’s Office issued a $214,842 civil citation to Excel Nursing Services, Inc. and its president/treasurer, Rebecca Paquette, for allegedly failing to make timely wage payments to new employees.
According to the AG’s office, the Wilbraham-based healthcare staffing agency unlawfully delayed payments to 107 new employees until they completed 115 hours of training and patient care.
Under Massachusetts law, employers are required to pay all employees within six days of their weekly or biweekly pay period.
In a press release issued today, the Attorney General’s Office says,
The AGO’s Fair Labor Division (FLD) opened an investigation into Excel after receiving an employee complaint alleging that the company withheld wages from new employees until they accumulated 115 hours of work. Through their investigation, FLD learned that the company did not pay new employees until they completed 65-75 hours of online and in-person training, plus an additional 50-60 hours of patient care without direct supervision. FLD investigators confirmed that the company’s payroll policy was in violation of timely payment mandates required by Massachusetts Wage Act, which requires employers to pay all employees within six days of the end of the weekly or bi-weekly pay period.
To read the full press release, click here.