SAN FRANCISCO— As a result of an investigation conducted by Department of Industrial Relations investigators, five house cleaning workers in San Francisco will receive an average of $50,000 each in back pay.

On February 10, 2016, Labor Commissioner Julie A. Su announced the $265,000 settlement on behalf of five workers who were victims of wage theft while employed at San Francisco-based Marina’s House Cleaning.  The employees, who typically worked over 10 hours a day, approached the Labor Commissioner's office last October to learn about their rights and an investigation ensued.

Investigators determined that the employees had been incorrectly designated as independent contractors and paid less than minimum wage with no overtime. They were required to clean 12 to 15 houses each day, which forced them to skip meal periods and rest breaks. Marina’s House Cleaning further failed to pay the employees’ full wages upon separation.

“With this settlement, workers who were once exploited and denied their right to a just day’s pay for a hard day’s work are finally getting the wages they earned,” said Labor Commissioner Julie A. Su.

"Department of Industrial Relations investigators have made quite a name for themselves when it comes to finding employers who are not following labor laws and at the expense of hard working individuals who are simply trying to make a decent life for themselves and their families," said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association President Alan Barcelona.  "The labor commissioner has made it very public that she is tackling this growing problem."

The settlement includes $247,616 in back pay for the five workers and $17,384 in civil penalties.