home care workers

The wage theft complaints are related to home health aides allegedly being underpaid while working around the clock in their elderly or disabled clients’ homes.

Labor groups representing home health aides said New York state maintains policies that make workers “extremely vulnerable to occupational injuries” and wage theft.

If successful, the measure would end a practice in which New York home care workers are assigned to 24-hour shifts and paid for just 13 hours of their time.

The award is the result of years of arbitration between health care union 1199SEIU and home care agencies – but some labor organizers say it isn’t enough money to pay back wages.

Having settled the question of whether the 13-hour rule is valid, the Court of Appeals decision still leaves the door open to class-action lawsuits alleging violations of the policy.