Workers at assisted living facilities throughout California were recently awarded $2.2 million for time and attendance violations. The class-action lawsuit filed in March 2011 charged Emeritus Senior Living with failure to properly compensate employees for overtime work and training sessions, as well as negligence of federal meal and personal break regulations.

A joint investigation conducted by ProPublica and the PBS program Frontline revealed rampant labor violations occurring within the California-based company's assisted living system. The investigative journalism news source stated the executives at Emeritus saw keeping overhead costs low with strict policy governing the wages employees receive as integral to the financial viability of their organization. With more than 750,000 elderly Americans residing in assisted living facilities, there is growing need for employees to care for the aging population.

However, the investigation emphasized the propensity of organizations like Emeritus to take advantage of workers who are likely unaware of their rights under the law. As a result, undercutting employees' wages and access to meal breaks had led to displeasure amongst existing workers while employers strive to keep staffing at a bare minimum to maximize profits.

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