Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has issued a citation against William J. Segal, owner of Alpha Healthcare LLC, for failure to pay nearly 500 employees on time. The Swansea-based skilled nursing rehabilitation company operates multiple facilities across the state, and the citation amounts to a hefty sum, totaling almost $1.1 million in penalties and unpaid wages. Luckily, the workers have been compensated as the citation called for a receiver to ensure they received restitution.
The wage debacle started when Alpha Healthcare failed to make the required payments for labor between September 15, 2024, and September 28, 2024, affecting every employee across the company's five facilities in Fall River, Franklin, Newburyport, Swansea, and Stoughton the Attorney General's Office began investigating after employees came forward with complaints about the delay in their payments.
"When employers violate our laws, including by failing to make timely wage payments, the economic security of workers and their families is unfairly put at risk," AG Campbell said on Mass.gov, echoing the sentiments of many employees who have faced financial uncertainty due to missed paychecks. Her office has been diligent in prosecuting cases of labor violations; this recent citation is part of broader efforts by the AG to enforce labor laws and protect workers' rights, including those of individuals in the service industry and the underage workforce.
Assistant Attorney General Shannan Leelyn and Investigators Paul Gordon and Ann Yancey Bassett of the AGO's Fair Labor Division handled the case with vigilant attention to the intricacies of Massachusetts' wage and hour laws, which clearly mandate the payment of wages within six days of a pay period's end and compensation for all hours worked, earlier this year, the same office imposed fines on Swissport, and several fast-food franchises for similar infractions.
Massachusetts workers who suspect their rights have been violated can reach out to the AGO’s Fair Labor Division via their website or call their hotline for assistance. The state remains firm on upholding employment laws, and AG Campbell's decisive actions are a testament to this commitment.
