Luisa Morales has filed a class action lawsuit against Goodhope Healthcare and Home Health Services Inc. and its owner, Chimatra Ebirim, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on December 30, 2024. The complaint alleges that the defendants failed to pay overtime and minimum wages as required by federal and state laws.
According to the complaint, Morales represents herself and other similarly situated employees who worked as hourly non-exempt caregivers for Goodhope Healthcare. These employees were reportedly not compensated at the legally mandated rate of one and a half times their regular pay for hours worked beyond 40 per week, violating the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Illinois Minimum Wage Law (IMWL), and Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act (IWPCA). Morales claims that she regularly worked over 40 hours per week but was only paid her standard hourly rate of $17.00 for all hours worked, without receiving any overtime pay.
The lawsuit further alleges that Ebirim, who had control over payroll decisions, knowingly altered time records to underreport hours worked by employees. This practice allegedly resulted in caregivers being underpaid or not paid at all for certain work periods. Morales recounts an instance where she questioned Ebirim about unpaid overtime, only to be told that the business was exempt from such payments due to its small size—a claim she disputes as incorrect under labor laws.
Morales is seeking back pay for unpaid wages, liquidated damages equal to unpaid compensation, interest on overdue payments, attorney fees, and other relief deemed appropriate by the court. The case highlights ongoing issues within some home healthcare services regarding fair labor practices and aims to hold Goodhope Healthcare accountable for alleged wage violations.
Representing Morales are attorneys M. Nieves Bolanos and Patrick J. Cowlin from Hawks Quindel S.C., based in Chicago. The case has been assigned Case No. 24-cv-13353 but does not yet list a specific judge overseeing proceedings.