DOL Recovers $137K for Underpaid Fremont Home Workers

Employer: Lincoln Retirement Villa LLC

41040 Lincoln Street

Fremont, CA 94538

Investigation findings: An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found the assisted living facility for seniors failed to properly account and pay for all overtime hours worked by 20 employees, in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The employer also did not keep accurate payroll records as required by the act.

Wages, Damages Recovered: $68,672 in back wages for 20 workers

$68,672 in liquidated damages for 20 workers

$8,330 in civil money penalties due to the willful nature of violations

Quote: “Lincoln Retirement Villa not only knowingly underpaid its employees, but the employer made it a systemic business practice,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Francisco Ocampo in San Jose, California. “The Department of Labor will remain vigilant against labor abuses and exploitation by players in this highly problematic industry that employ some of the most vulnerable workers to perform the important work of caring for seniors.”

Background: The violations found in this case exemplify labor compliance problems in the broader healthcare industry. In fiscal year 2024, the department’s Wage and Hour Division conducted more than 2,300 investigations and recovered more than $37.8 million in back wages for nearly 30,000 workers nationwide.

Workers can use the division’s Workers Owed Wages search tool to see if they are owed back wages collected by the division. Employers and workers can contact the Wage and Hour Division for assistance at its toll-free number, 1-866-4-US-WAGE. Workers and employers alike can help ensure hours worked and pay are accurate by downloading the department’s Android and iOS Timesheet App for free in English or Spanish.

Public Release.