BOSTON (Legal Newsline) -- Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced Monday a settlement with nursing homes in Waltham, Braintree and Norwood, resolving allegations they failed to pay earned vacation wages to terminated employees.
Coakley's office received a complaint in January 2013 from a former employee of Ellis Nursing Homes Inc., alleging she did not receive her earned vacation time pay when she was terminated.
The attorney general looked into the matter and found vacation wages were allegedly unpaid to 209 employees in four state nursing home locations, including the Waltham-based Meadow Green Nursing Home Inc., the Braintree-based Glen at Grove Manor Inc., the Braintree-based Grove Manor Estates Inc. and the Norwood-based Ellis Nursing Homes.
"Failure to pay wages is a violation of Massachusetts law that must be enforced to protect employees who earned their pay," Coakley said. "We are pleased that this settlement will bring restitution to the former employees who were affected by the actions of these companies."
Under the terms of the settlement, the nursing homes must pay more than $132,000 in restitution and penalties. The companies will pay restitution to all 209 former employees.
All of the companies cooperated completely with Coakley's inquiry.
The Attorney General's Office is responsible for enforcing laws that regulate the payment of wages, misclassification of employees and the payment of overtime.
Mass. AG reaches $132,000 settlement with nursing homes
