Weitzman finds an employment agency formerly working for Nassau underpaid employees by nearly $32,000

Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman released another in a series of audits today that takes a look at agencies that contract with the County and how they comply with the County’s Living Wage Law. The Comptroller’s Living Wage Unit is currently conducting a review of many of the service providers that contract with the County.

The audit of Randstad US of Melville revealed that the employment agency shortchanged 28 of its employees a total of $34,945 by not properly compensating them for days off and underpaying several of them, Weitzman said. The bulk of the wages owed to employees is from failing to provide compensated days off to employees, but auditors also found two employees were not paid the proper Living Wage. Those employees were owed $294.

Nassau County lawmakers unanimously passed the Living Wage Law in December of 2006, a law aimed at ensuring that employees of Nassau County contractors are earning a decent hourly wage, receiving health benefits or child care benefits or a cash supplement instead of benefits, and 12 paid days off annually. The living wage is currently set at $11.50 with health benefits or $13.10 without benefits.

According to Comptroller Weitzman, Randstad representatives agreed that they owe employees for both paid days off and underpayment of wages and have stated that they have repaid the employees what is owed to them. According to Randstad representatives, the company no longer contracts with the County. The last payment made to Randstad was for the week ending August 3, 2008. The Living Wage Law and wages only apply to companies during the time they are contracting with the County. The Randstad audit looked at the period 2007 through August 3, 2008, during which time the company was under a County contract.

So far, the Comptroller’s office has found 12 home health care agencies that have failed to fully comply with the law and owed employees compensation. Randstad is the first service provider to be audited that is not in the personal home health care business.

Limited Audit of Randstad US Compliance with Nassau County Living Wage Law