Employees at Sweet Home Healthcare were able to enter the doors of the Harrisburg business on Monday although many claim they are still waiting to get their paychecks. When FOX43 arrived to attempt to gain a statement from the company, however, the door was locked and the blinds were closed.
Off-camera, Sweet Home Health Care gave FOX43 a number to call to reach the company's office in Philadelphia. FOX43 is waiting on a response from the company.
Meantime, employees entering and exiting the business spoke to FOX43.
"They don't want to talk to you all because they say they don't got nothing to do with it. But, you do have something to do with it because you're an employee just like I'm an employee and I want my paycheck," said Lisa Twyman, who claimed she had not been paid in weeks.
On Monday, several employees once again made their way to the office of Rep. Patty Kim, which is located two doors down from Sweet Home. Employees took the same action on Friday.
"Because we've been getting such a high number of folks coming in, we put together packets to help them navigate through the state departments," said Rep. Kim. Her office is providing Sweet Home employees with pamphlets that include numbers to reach the Pennsylvania Attorney General and the Department of Labor.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General said 'no comment' on the issue on Friday.
This statement was released by the State's Department of Labor and the Department of Human Services:
The Wolf Administration, including the departments of Human Services, Health, and Labor & Industry, are closely monitoring the developing situation involving the licensed in-home care provider Sweet Home Healthcare’s recent failure to make its payroll. Sweet Home Healthcare and its affiliates provide in-home care services to individuals in eastern and central Pennsylvania, primarily older adults and individuals with disabilities.
Continuity of Service
These Medicaid programs are administered by the Office of Long-Term Living and Office of Developmental Programs in the Department of Human Services (DHS). Specific service types provided by Sweet Home Healthcare and covered by Medicaid include: personal assistance services, respite, residential services, in-home and community support, home health aides and nursing services.
DHS is coordinating with the three Community HealthChoices managed care organizations and local administrative entities/counties to ensure that business challenges do not result in service disruptions or inadequate care for program participants. Steps taken include:
All program participants are being directly contacted and in some cases on-site visits are being scheduled to ensure health and safety needs are being met. In the case of a missed shift or other service disruption, DHS and the managed care organizations are working to promptly respond with services from qualified providers.
When program participants request a change or there is evidence of service disruption, service coordinators at the managed care organizations are offering participants the opportunity to switch to a new in-home care agency and expedited assistance with this process.
DHS and the three Community HealthChoices managed care organizations are tracking and responding immediately to any complaints from participants about service disruptions or other concerns.
DHS is working with the Department of Health (DOH), which licenses home care agencies, to monitor the situation and share pertinent information.
The Department of Health is responsible for licensing home care agencies and home health agencies in Pennsylvania. The DOH is in constant communication with our state partners regarding the safety and well-being of those affected by these concerns.
Assisting Employees
The Department of Labor & Industry has not received a Worker Adjustment Retraining Notification (WARN) from Sweet Home Health Care regarding layoffs. When a closure or layoffs occur, the department’s Rapid Response Services team contacts the business to offer services to any employees affected by layoffs.
L&I’s Rapid Response program provides resources to companies to try to avoid layoffs, and provides services to help mitigate the hardship and stress displaced workers and residents face when dealing with an unanticipated loss of income due to a plant closure, mass layoff event, or natural disaster.
Sweet Home Healthcare employees who wish to file a labor complaint for lost wages should contact their regional Labor Law Compliance Office. The Harrisburg District Office is 1-800-932-0665; the Philadelphia District Office is 1-877-817-9497; and the Scranton District Office can be reached at 1-877-214-3962.
Employees can also email the Bureau of Labor Law Compliance at RA-LI-SLMR-LLC@pa.gov or file an online Wage Complaint Form.