Beth Israel, CareGroup settle overtime lawsuit
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and other CareGroup Inc. affiliates have agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit against the hospital chain alleging that workers were not paid for working through lunch breaks or beyond their scheduled shifts. The $8.5 million settlement, if given court approval, will cover as many as 9,000 current and former CareGroup employees.
CareGroup, Inc. and its affiliates Beth Israel, Beth Israel Deaconess-Needham, Mt. Auburn Hospital, and New England Baptist Hospital will pay up to $8.5 million to settle the lawsuit. The settlement will include payments to cover back wages for workers who claimed they were not paid overtime for working beyond their shift, or who worked through their lunch without pay. As part of the settlement, CareGroup and its affiliates deny any wrongdoing or violation of federal or state law.
The suit was brought by attorneys with the law firm of Thomas & Solomon based in Rochester, NY, which specializes in class action lawsuits for unpaid wages. The firm has filed comparable batches of lawsuits against hospitals in Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse, N.Y.
In a statement, CareGroup chief financial officer John Szum said, “The settlement reflects our commitment to put this litigation behind us as we focus on the delivery of quality healthcare for our patients.”
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