Home care workers who take care of the elderly, house bound and infirm in Massachusetts are protected by state laws on minimum wage, overtime and meal breaks. Home care workers in New York State just resolved a class action lawsuit, claiming that they weren’t paid overtime and worked “off the clock.” You can read about that lawsuit here.
Massachusetts home care workers do have rights under the state’s wage and hour laws. They have the right to be paid minium wage, to be paid for all of the hours they worked, and to be paid overtime at time and a half after working forty hours in a week. They also have a right to an upaid half hour meal break after working six hours. They have the right to take their meal break away from the house if they wish.
Home care workers are particularly vulnerable workers because they are often immigrants and may speak limited English or English as a second language. Many work long hours and overnight stays, helping the aging and infirm to stay in their homes.
If you have any questions, please call Boston, Massachusetts Labor and Employment lawyer Maura Greene at 617-936-1580 for a free consultation. In 2012 Maura Greene was named in the Boston Globe as one of Boston’s top rated labor and employment attorneys.