Scroll Top

Suit filed on behalf of home health aide for failure to compensate for “sleep time.”

suit-filed-behalf-home-health-aide-failure-compensate-sleep-time

On August 2, 2017, the law firm of Barkan Meizlish DeRose Cox, LLP filed a Complaint against Defendants Serenity Homes LV, LLC (“Serenity Homes”), and its manager, Valerie Kaleal, for the failure to properly compensate an employee in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and the Ohio Minimum Fair Wage Standards Act. Serenity Homes is a company based in Shelby, Ohio and provides home healthcare to individuals with mental and physical disabilities and specific medical needs throughout the Mansfield, Ohio and Shelby, Ohio area.

The lawsuit is brought on behalf of plaintiff Catherine Sparks, a home health aide currently employed by Defendants, who regularly worked at least 40 hours per week, including overnight and weekend shifts, during the two years preceding the filing of the Complaint. The Plaintiff alleges Serenity Homes failed to pay her overtime at a rate of 1.5 times her regular rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek.

Specifically, Plaintiff alleges that she was not adequately compensated at the overtime rate when she worked “sleep time” hours (10:00 P.M. – 6:00 A.M.). To exclude sleep time hours under the FLSA, an employer must show an expressed or implied agreement with the employee that excludes sleep time, provide adequate sleeping facilities, and the employee must have at least 5 hours of consecutive sleep during the scheduled sleeping periods. 29 C.F.R. 785.22. Any interruptions to perform duties must be counted as hours worked. The Plaintiff alleges Defendants did not have any “sleep time” agreement, nor did Plaintiff have 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep while working sleep time hours as a home health aide.

Additionally, Plaintiff alleges that she was not properly compensated for attending mandatory employee meetings and working “on call” hours, nor was she properly paid for her mileage or reimbursed for the use of her own car when she engaged in activities to benefit Defendants’ clients during the course of her employment.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division and is titled Sparks v. Serenity Homes LV, LLC et al., Case No. 1:17-cv-01618.

If you feel that you are not being properly paid wages you have earned, call Barkan Meizlish DeRose Cox, LLP for a free consultation at 800-274-5927. You may have a viable claim and our employment attorney can help you determine the best course of action.

Related Post