Matthew has been the digital content manager for KITV4 since September 2021. Matthew is a prolific writer, editor, and self-described "newsie" who's worked in television markets in Oklahoma, California, and Hawaii.
HONOLULU (KITV4) – The operators of a Honolulu addiction treatment center have been ordered to pay nearly half a million dollars to more than 30 care workers for back wages and other illegal pay practices, according to the US Department of Labor.
The Kline Welsh Behavioral Health Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides mental health, drug and alcohol addiction recovery services in a residential setting on Oahu, has been ordered to pay a total of $451,989 in back wages to 34 of its employees.
The Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division conducted an investigation into the Sand Island Treatment Center, operated by the Kline Welsh Behavioral Health Foundation, and discovered that the facility had engaged in illegal pay practices. The affected employees included substance use disorder counselors, kitchen, clerical, maintenance, and administrative staff.
Investigators found that the facility did not pay the affected employees overtime and minimum wages for all hours worked and failed to keep proper payroll records, all of which are violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. In some cases, the treatment center paid workers providing patient care and other services as little as $400 per month, according to the investigation.
The Wage and Hour Division determined that Kline Welsh Behavioral Health Foundation paid affected workers salaries that fell below the federal minimum wage when they worked between 41 and 63 hours in a workweek. The organization also paid some employees a monthly stipend as low as $400 and classified them as "staff trainees" who learned the tasks of salaried employees while waiting for a job opening at the center.
"People who provide care and valuable assistance in healthcare facilities deserve to be paid for their hard work and for the essential services they deliver to people in need. The Wage and Hour Division will ensure employers, such as Sand Island Treatment Center, meet their obligations under the law to the caregivers and workers who depend on their wages to care for themselves and their families," said Wage and Hour Division District Director Terence Trotter in a press released.
In addition to the recovery of back wages, the Kline Welsh Behavioral Health Foundation was assessed a $10,000 civil money penalty and required to submit a Compliance Action Plan to the division affirming the steps being taken to ensure FLSA compliance.
Matthew has been the digital content manager for KITV4 since September 2021. Matthew is a prolific writer, editor, and self-described "newsie" who's worked in television markets in Oklahoma, California, and Hawaii.
