Kaneohe care homes must pay $287K for overtime violations

The owners and operators of two residential care homes in Kaneohe must pay $287,279 in overtime wages and damages to 23 caregivers after a federal court ruling, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

A department investigation found employers at the two facilities — Hokulaki Senior Living LLC and Olalani Senior Care LLC and owners Myriam and Robert Tabaniag — intentionally denied the employees overtime wages.

The court’s action follows a consent judgment in the U.S. District Court for Hawaii after the investigation determined the employers paid straight-time rates for all hours worked, including those beyond 40 in a workweek, violating the Fair Labor Standards Act.

“Just as people employed in the healthcare industry must meet standards for providing care, employers are obligated to comply with labor standards, including the requirement to pay overtime for hours over 40 in a workweek,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Terence Trotter in a news release. “Employers who fail to meet these responsibilities may suffer costly consequences, particularly when violations are intentional.”

The employers must pay $143,639 in overtime back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages to the affected employees, along with $13,299 in penalties to the department for their willful violations.

The division’s Honolulu District Office conducted the investigation, with trial attorney Kathryn A. Panaccione and Wage and Hour Counsel Andrew Schultz in the department’s Regional Office of the Solicitor litigating the case.

A toll-free hotline for employers and workers is available at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).