State AG Recovers $214,842 for Payroll Violations
Summary
The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office has secured $214,842 from Excel Nursing Services, Inc. and its president for wage theft violations. The agency unlawfully delayed payroll payments to 107 employees, violating state wage laws.
What changed
The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office has issued a civil citation to Excel Nursing Services, Inc. and its President, Rebecca Paquette, recovering $214,842. This action resolves allegations that the healthcare staffing agency unlawfully delayed wage payments to 107 new employees, violating state laws requiring timely payroll. The recovered amount includes civil penalties and restitution to the affected employees, who were reportedly made to wait for payment until completing significant training hours.
This enforcement action highlights the critical importance of adhering to Massachusetts Wage Act mandates regarding prompt payment of wages. Employers, particularly in the healthcare and staffing sectors, must ensure their payroll practices comply with state law, which requires payment within six days of the end of a pay period. Failure to comply can result in significant financial penalties and restitution orders, as demonstrated in this case. Affected employees are encouraged to file complaints with the AGO's Fair Labor Division if they believe their rights have been violated.
What to do next
- Review payroll practices to ensure compliance with state wage payment timelines.
- Verify that all employee training hours are compensated according to state law.
- Consult legal counsel regarding any potential discrepancies in wage payment policies.
Penalties
$214,842 in restitution to employees and civil penalties to the Commonwealth.
Source document (simplified)
- This page, AG's Office Secures $214,842 from Wilbraham-Based Healthcare Staffing and Home Health Agency and Its President for Failure to Make Timely Payroll Payments to Employees , is offered by
- Office of the Attorney General
- show more
Press Release
Press Release AG's Office Secures $214,842 from Wilbraham-Based Healthcare Staffing and Home Health Agency and Its President for Failure to Make Timely Payroll Payments to Employees
Citations Include Restitution to the Affected Employees and Penalties to the Commonwealth
For immediate release: 3/09/2026
- Office of the Attorney General
Media Contact
Kennedy Sims, Deputy Press Secretary
Phone
Call Kennedy Sims, Deputy Press Secretary at (617) 727-2543
Online
Email Kennedy Sims, Deputy Press Secretary at Kennedy.Sims@mass.gov
BOSTON — The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) today announced that it issued a civil citation to Excel Nursing Services, Inc., a Wilbraham-based home care and healthcare staffing agency servicing western Massachusetts, and its President and Treasurer, Rebecca Paquette.
The citation resolves allegations that Excel unlawfully delayed wage payments to 107 new employees until they completed 115 hours of training and patient care. The conduct violated state laws requiring employers to pay workers within six days of the end of a weekly or biweekly pay period.
Under the terms of the citation, Excel will pay $214,842, which includes civil penalties to the state, in addition to restitution to the impacted employees that was paid prior to the citation’s issuance.
The AGO’s Fair Labor Division (FLD) opened an investigation into Excel after receiving an employee complaint alleging that the company withheld wages from new employees until they accumulated 115 hours of work. Through their investigation, FLD learned that the company did not pay new employees until they completed 65-75 hours of online and in-person training, plus an additional 50-60 hours of patient care without direct supervision. FLD investigators confirmed that the company’s payroll policy was in violation of timely payment mandates required by Massachusetts Wage Act, which requires employers to pay all employees within six days of the end of the weekly or bi-weekly pay period.
This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Shannan Leelyn, and Investigator Matija Zizanovic of the AGO’s Fair Labor Division, which is tasked with enforcing the state’s wage and hour, child labor, and other employment laws.
The AGO is committed to protecting the rights of all workers, including immigrant workers, who are disproportionately vulnerable to illegal employment practices, such as wage theft and other harms. The AGO encourages workers and employers to review the AGO’s Advisory on the Rights of Immigrant Workers, The Advisory affirms that all workers, regardless of their immigration status, are entitled to employment protections, including the right to a fair wage, protection from retaliation, classification as an employee, and freedom from sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace.
In accordance with state and federal law, the AGO works to serve and protect all workers, without regard to immigration status, does not ask about workers’ immigration status, and does not voluntarily provide workers’ personal information to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Workers in Massachusetts who believe their workplace rights have been violated are encouraged to file a complaint with the AGO’s Fair Labor Division at mass.gov/ago/fld. For more information about the state’s employment laws, workers may call the AGO’s Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465 or visit mass.gov/ago/fairlabor for information available in multiple languages.
Media Contact
Kennedy Sims, Deputy Press Secretary
+
Phone
Call Kennedy Sims, Deputy Press Secretary at (617) 727-2543
Online
Email Kennedy Sims, Deputy Press Secretary at Kennedy.Sims@mass.gov
Office of the Attorney General
The Attorney General is the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Media Contact
Kennedy Sims, Deputy Press Secretary
Phone
Call Kennedy Sims, Deputy Press Secretary at (617) 727-2543
Online
Email Kennedy Sims, Deputy Press Secretary at Kennedy.Sims@mass.gov
Help Us Improve Mass.gov with your feedback
Did you find what you were looking for on this webpage? Yes No If you have any suggestions for the website, please let us know. How can we improve the page? Please do not include personal or contact information. You will not get a response The feedback will only be used for improving the website. If you need assistance, please Contact the Attorney General's Office at (617) 727-2200. Please limit your input to 500 characters.
Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. You will NOT get a response. If you need assistance, please Contact the Attorney General's Office at (617) 727-2200. Please let us know how we can improve this page. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. You will NOT get a response. If you need assistance, please Contact the Attorney General's Office at (617) 727-2200. Thank you for your website feedback! We will use this information to improve this page.
If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site.
Related changes
Source
Classification
Who this affects
Taxonomy
Browse Categories
Get Government alerts
Weekly digest. AI-summarized, no noise.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
Get alerts for this source
We'll email you when MA Attorney General Press Releases publishes new changes.