|
One
of the controversies about the split
between the DuBois Center and the W.E.B.
DuBois Community Development Corporation
centers on the refusal or the inability
of the center to pay at least 19 mental
health counselors and case managers who
worked at the center in February.
There is some similarity
between that situation and that of a
company, Diverse Home Health Services,
which George C. Jones Sr., now the
interim director of the DuBois Center,
headed until it went out of business
late in 2003.
The investigation into the
back wages the DuBois Center employees
say are due them is ongoing. It was not
possible to get an update this week
because the only one authorized to make
statements about the investigation,
Henry Sasser, deputy director of the
Wake and Hour Bureau of the North
Carolina Department of Labor, is ill and
out of the office. Jones has referred to
the center’s accountant in saying that
everyone who should have been paid has
been.
In February of 2004, the
Wage and Hour Bureau cited Jones for two
offenses: failing to pay all the wages
for five employees and failing to pay
his former employees at Diverse Home
Health Services their wages on or before
the next payday after separation. The
total in unpaid wages was $6,529.87 and
interest of $155.30 made the total
$6,685.17.
On June 14, 2004, Vince
Hinson, Eastern District Supervisor for
the Wage and Hour Bureau, wrote to all
five complainants saying the bureau had
been able to substantiate their claims
and found they were due the past wages.
However, Hinson wrote, “The
employer, George Jones, has refused to
pay the wages found due.”
Hinson said they could,
within two years, pursue their claims
either in Small Claims Court or in
District Court. Small Claims Court is
used for amounts of $4,000 or less, and
all were under that amount.
The information above comes
from the Bureau’s file on the
investigation, #31560.
Christine Sanders, the only former
Diverse employee who could be reached,
said she had not pursued her claim for
$2,326 for several family reasons. She
worked for Jones for about a year and a
half.
“We always used to get paid
late,” Sanders said, or they would take
checks to the bank to find there was no
money. “We were willing to work with
him.” She was paid $8 an hour and worked
80 to 84 hours for each two-week pay
period. Checks were issued two weeks
after the pay period ended.
Sanders continued to work
for Jones through the end of November
despite not being paid for her work in
either October of November. On Nov. 6,
2003, he wrote a letter for her:
“To Whom It May Concern:
Christine Sanders is currently employed
by Diverse Home Health Services. Due to
unforeseen circumstances, Mrs. Sanders
is unable to receive her pay for the
October 15th and 31st
pay periods. Please contact George Jones
if you have any questions regarding Mrs.
Sanders.”
During the time the
investigation covered, October and
November of 2003, the number of
employees at Diverse dropped from 18 to
eight. Sanders said Jones turned his
patients over to another service, Eagle
Healthcare Services.
Jones was being paid $4,000
monthly, and his daughter, Crystal, was
paid $1,667 plus $350 for being on call
every two weeks. Crystal Jones was the
bookkeeper at Diverse and now is the
bookkeeper at the DuBois Center.
The investigation continued
from the first of December until the end
of February, largely because Jones did
not provide the investigator, Robin
Burnette, with complete time and pay
records until mid-February.
During Burnette’s final
telephone conference with Jones on Feb.
25, 2004, Jones admitted owing the wages
but said he had no money to pay. “He
also states that he is trying to sell
the company, and that the sales
agreement stipulates that the buyer will
pay all BWs (back wages) owed.” Jones
did not call Burnette, as agreed, within
two weeks with the status of the sale.
Jones did not respond to
telephone requests for comment or
clarification. |
