(December 2, 2015) ATLANTA, GA — The Georgia Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of in-home care workers in the state, stating that they are entitled to earn the state minimum wage. Pope & Howard, P.C., a personal injury trial law firm based in Atlanta, worked on behalf of the in-home care providers, in a suit filed against the workers’ employer, Southern Home Care Services.
“We were pleased to hear the court’s decision,” said Marc Howard, co-founder and partner at Pope & Howard, P.C. “The verdict will help recover our clients’ lost wages for the time they spent traveling between the homes of their clients, and will ensure that they are paid for all time they spent working on behalf of their employers.”
The Georgia Supreme Court’s decision will have widespread effects for in-home care workers across the state who are employed by businesses and third parties, as they are now legally covered by Georgia’s minimum wage protections.
The court ruled against the employer, Southern Home Care Services, who argued that the workers were classified as “domestic employees” under Georgia law, and thus were not entitled to the state’s minimum wage. Because the workers were employed by a multi-state corporation, and not the individuals receiving the care, the court ruled that they are entitled to Georgia’s minimum wage.
“With this ruling in effect, in-home care providers employed in Georgia by third-party businesses now have the legal right to earn the state’s minimum wage, and to be fairly compensated for their time spent traveling to and from work,” said Geoff Pope, a partner at Pope & Howard, P.C., who also represented the workers.
The high court’s ruling in the case, which was presented by Atlanta trial firm Pope & Howard, P.C., may also create an opportunity for thousands of other Georgia workers in the state to seek back-pay for unpaid minimum wage.
The attorneys of Pope & Howard, P.C., are experienced trial attorneys dedicated to fairly representing clients for just compensation. Founded by Marc Howard and Geoff Pope in 2005, the Atlanta-based trial law firm specializes in tractor trailer accidents, construction site injuries, aviation accidents, and other personal and catastrophic injury cases. Visit the firm’s website online at www.popehoward.com to learn more.