Operators for three Oklahoma City nursing homes have agreed to pay more than $27,000 in back wages for 129 workers after an investigation found they weren’t paid for some meetings and training as hours worked, the Department of Labor announced Tuesday.
The agency found providers at the Heritage Village Retirement Center in Holdenville, Henryetta Community Skilled Healthcare & Rehabilitation in Henryetta, and Colonial Park Manor in Okemah didn’t count on-site and off-site meetings, on-boarding activities and web-based training as hours worked for the employees. The facilities also didn’t pay for additional overtime hours.
Facility leaders cooperated with the agency to pay the workers following the investigation’s conclusion, officials said. The providers also changed their policies to require training to be completed on-site during work hours to avoid future violations and ensure workers are paid for all hours worked.
“Ensuring these workers receive all of their wages is an agency priority, and we welcome the changes made by the employer to ensure workers are paid for all the hours they work, including time spent in training and meetings,” Michael Speer, Oklahoma City’s wage and hour district director, said in a statement.
“Nursing home workers use their vital skills to care for people in need. At the height of the pandemic, they were the sole source of companionship and care when facilities closed their doors to visitors,” he added.
