Official: Health care aides' wages improve

Nassau County has made significant progress in enforcing its living wage law, with violations dropping by more than 75 percent last year among contractors of home health care aides, Comptroller George Maragos said Monday.

In an audit of the pay of personal care aides who worked for county contractors in 2010, total underpayments dropped from $281,790 in 2009 to $14,158, Maragos said.

"The number of violations identified in our audits declined by 76.6 percent, from 530 to 124 and the amounts affected employees were shortchanged decreased . . . by 94.9 percent," Maragos said in a statement.

The living wage law was enacted by the county Legislature in 2006 to raise the minimum wage for most contract workers. The county comptroller monitors compliance and reports yearly to the county executive and the Legislature. The living wage floor is $14.61 per hour.

Maragos spokesman Jostyn Hernandez said the comptroller's office focuses on the home health care industry because its workers "are usually the lowest paid."

Maureen Dolan, controller for South Shore HomeHealth Care Services in Oakdale, which Maragos said had the highest total underpayments last year -- $5,424 -- called the issue a "big misunderstanding."

Dolan said the agency employed 136 people in Nassau, "many working less than three months. At least three people worked only one week. Under other county interpretations, this would not qualify for any vacation compensation. But Nassau County determined that even the three people were owed vacation pay."

Dolan said the company paid what Maragos said was owed and abides by the county's rules. "We remain committed to fair, equitable pay," she said.