Quincy landscaping company to pay more than $57,000 over claims it failed to pay proper overtime to employees

A Quincy landscaping company has agreed to pay more than $57,000 to resolve allegations that it failed to pay proper overtime to employees, Attorney General Maura Healey announced. The AG’s Office has cited five other landscaping companies for wage and hour violations this year totaling more than $11,000.

“Wage theft is prevalent in many sectors, especially among vulnerable workers,” Healey said. “Landscaping workers are seasonal employees with fluctuating schedules at multiple jobs sites, which make them more susceptible to wage theft. We will scrutinize employers who don’t play by the rules and continue our efforts to ensure workers get the wages they are owed.”

In September 2015, Healey’s Fair Labor Division received complaints from two former employees alleging that Ames Landscaping Services (ALS) and its owner, Ralph E. Ames, III, did not pay employees overtime. An investigation revealed that ALS and Ames failed to pay overtime wages to 15 employees from November 15, 2013 through October 16, 2015.

Through a settlement with the AG’s Office, ALS and Ames will pay $57,799 in restitution and penalties, from which the 15 employees will receive restitution payments.

The AG’s Office has cited five other landscaping companies for various wage and hour violations since January:

• GTA Company, Inc. in Everett and owner Gregory T. Antonelli paid a $5,000 penalty for failure to submit certified payroll records timely to the awarding authority;
• Go Green Landscape in Marblehead and owner George Davekos were cited $2,820 in restitution and penalties for non-payment of wages;
• CJW Landscaping in Millis and owner Cameron Wenzel paid $1,907.20 in restitution and penalties for failure to pay proper overtime;
• Granda’s Landscaping Services Corp. in Brockton and owner Carlos Granda were cited $850 in restitution and penalties for non-payment of wages and failure to furnish records for inspection;
• Setter Landscaping in Granby and owner Marc R. Tremblay paid a $500 penalty for failing to furnish records for inspection.

These cases were handled by Healey’s Fair Labor Division, which is responsible for enforcing the laws regulating the payment of wages, including prevailing wage, minimum wage and overtime laws.

Workers who believe that their rights have been violated in their workplace are encouraged to call the Office’s Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465. More information about the state’s wage and hour laws is also available in multiple languages at the Attorney General’s Workplace Rights website www.massworkrights.com.