Stop-work orders issued to cleaning contractors

Workers employed at Stop & Shop

WETHERSFIELD >> The state Department of Labor has issued stop-work orders to cleaning contractors at 18 ShopRite, Stop and Shop and Whole Foods locations after receiving wage complaints from several workers employed by the cleaning contractors for these stores, officials said Monday.

Employees from the Wage and Workplace Standards Division visited Connecticut stores throughout the state, including two in Torrington and one in Winsted, and determined that the cleaning contractors did not have Connecticut workers’ compensation coverage or unemployment coverage. The contractors were also cited for incorrectly treating their employees as independent contractors, accord-

ing to a release from the labor department. A total of 23 employees were providing cleaning services at the stores.

According to State Labor Commissioner Scott D. Jackson, contractors Paraiba Cleaning Corporation of Worcester, Massachusetts, and USD Cleaning of Hartford were issued the stop work orders.

Store locations include the Stop & Shop stores at 931 Torrington St. and 211 High St. in Torrington and 200 New Hartford Road in Winsted. In addition to Stop & Shop locations across the state, the order includes ShopRite locations in Canton and West Hartford as well as two Whole Foods stores, in West Hartford and Glastonbury.

Phil Tracey, a corporate spokesman for Massachusetts-based Stop & Shop, said the third-party floor cleaning service that was cited by the state labor department for the violations “was immediately terminated and is no longer servicing our stores.”

“Stop & Shop takes its obligation to comply with applicable federal state and local laws very seriously and we expect our contractors and their service providers to do so as well,” Tracey said.

Heather McCready, a regional spokeswoman for Texas-based Whole Foods, said a floor cleaning company that had been hired by the grocery chain subcontrated its work to USD Cleaning.

“Whole Foods Market has terminated our contract with that floor-cleaning service company,” McCready said.

Labor department investigators visited the stores the night of July 19 after receiving complaints that the employees had not been paid properly or were owed wages for working overtime hours, according to the release.

Upon interviewing the employees, it was determined that some were working seven days a week and receiving no overtime, officials said.

“Unfortunately, this is a situation where employees are not being provided the proper workplace protections that are the right of every working person,” Jackson said in the release. “These employers are not only taking unfair advantage of their employees, but they are also hurting our state by not paying the proper taxes or providing unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation.

“This is an unacceptable way to do business in Connecticut because our workers are not protected should they get hurt on the job or become unemployed. Ultimately, state taxpayers are burdened with the cost of protecting these employees, creating a financial loss for Connecticut’s residents and those employers that do play by the rules.”

When a stop work order is issued, the company is able to resume work when it can provide proof that all deficiencies have been corrected. Under state law, companies are fined $300 per worker per day for those days it has operated in violation.

The agency has issued more than 2,000 stop work orders to companies that lack proper worker coverage, misclassify workers as independent contractors or fail to keep required payroll records, officials said.

“Keeping Connecticut’s economy strong and helping employers stay in business is a main objective of the labor department,” Jackson added. “For this reason, our staff is also dedicated to educating both employers and employees working in this state on the laws that are in place to help ensure a fair and safe business environment.”

Jackson urged any company doing business in Connecticut to consult the agency website at www. ct.gov/dol for workplace guidelines, or to contact wage staff at 860-263-6790.