Last
January, Californian Stephanie Costa appeared on Millionaire Matchmaker, a
reality TV program on Bravo. The show helps self-described millionaires find
suitable romantic partners. On the show, the 30 year-old Costa boasted about
her Beverly Hills mansion and her multiple motor vehicles, all of which she
stated she paid for by owning the company Bedford Care Group. Bedford Care
Group runs six assisted living facilities for the elderly throughout
California.
While
Costa was trying to become a reality TV star and flaunting her wealth, she was
also allegedly mistreating her employees by violating several state labor laws.
Now, just over a year after her luxurious television appearance, Costa instead
finds herself in a legal hearing to appeal a decision against her by the Office
of the California Labor Commissioner.
Labor
Commissioner Decision
Last
year, after an investigation, the California Labor Commissioner found that
Costa and Bedford Care Group violated several state wage and hour laws with the
following actions:
- Expecting employees to work significantly extended shifts;
- Not allowing the proper breaks for meals or rest under the law;
- Not paying certain employees the 2013 state minimum wage of $8.00 per hour (the CA minimum wage will rise to $9.00 per hour on July 1, 2014);
- Not paying the required time and a half overtime wages for hours worked over 40 per week;
- Failing to provide proper itemized pay statements that would allow employees to track their hours and check for accuracy.
The
employees stated they continued working for Costa because they cared about the
elderly residents of the Bedford Care Group facilities, however 11 former
employees finally brought a claim against Costa and the company. The plaintiffs
stated they could no longer stand for the injustice of the labor law
violations, and that they hope their case will not negatively affect the
residents of the facilities in any way.
After
investigating the claims, the Labor Commissioner determined that Bedford Care Group owes
the 11 former employees and the state nearly $1.6 million in compensation and
penalties. The penalties break down as follows:
- $1.3 million to the employees for unpaid overtime;
- $95,053 to the employees for missed meal and rest breaks;
- $17,025 to the employees for unpaid minimum wage;
- $114,500 to the state in civil penalties for the violations.
Costa
Appealing
Costa
and the Bedford Care Group are not going down without a fight, as she entered
the Labor Office for an appellate hearing in late January 2014. Costa claimed
she had timesheets to demonstrate that the company paid all employees adequate
wages for the hours they worked. However, the 11 former employees stated these
timesheets were falsified and maintain their allegations. Employees of the
Bedford Care Group took to the streets in protest while Costa was in her appeal
to try to make their case public. The appellate decision is still pending.
California takes wage and hour laws
very seriously. If you believe your employer has violated any labor laws, you
should not hesitate to contact the Pershing Square Law Firm for assistance with a possible case today.
