BOSTON — A Virginia-based construction company has agreed to pay more than $400,000 for violating the rights of employees working on a renovation project at the Cape Codder Hotel in Hyannis, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said Thursday.
Remby Contractors LLC, and its owner, Remberto Rodriguez, reached a settlement agreement on the matter, which requires the company to pay $368,997.55, including $298,997.55 in restitution to impacted workers and $70,000 in penalties, Campbell said.
Remby Contractors has been working on an ongoing renovation project to rebrand the Hyannis hotel to Margaritaville Resort Cape Cod, a new location of the hotel chain Margaritaville Hotels and Resorts, Campbell said.
In January, Plymouth-based Linchris, which will manage the property, said the Hyannis property will undergo a $30 million renovation and will be the brand’s first lodging location in New England.
The settlement resolves the Attorney General’s Office’s claims that between September 2023 and April 2024, Remby Contractors LLC violated a range of Massachusetts’ wage and hour laws.
The alleged violations, impacting 78 workers, include nonpayment of minimum wage and overtime, failure to provide pay stubs, misclassification of employees as independent contractors, and failure to track accrual and usage of earned sick time, Campbell said. As part of the agreement, the company has agreed to comply with all Massachusetts wage and hour laws, along with other state employment laws.
“When employers violate our employment laws, vulnerable workers who absolutely need their wages are unfairly harmed,” Campbell said in a statement. “I am proud of my team’s efforts in achieving this settlement, which will not only provide meaningful restitution to these workers but will also remind employers that Massachusetts is serious about protecting its workforce.”
The settlement follows an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office’s Fair Labor Division, which is tasked with enforcing the state’s wage and hour laws, along with other employment laws, Campbell said.
The investigation began after Fair Labor Division representatives conducted a site visit at the hotel. The Fair Labor Division Construction Field Team, a multilingual team of investigators, conducts unannounced visits to construction sites in Massachusetts each week “to ensure compliance with the state’s wage and hour laws,” Campbell said.
Workers in Massachusetts who believe their workplace rights have been violated are encouraged to file a complaint with the Fair Labor Division at mass.gov/ago/fld.
For more information about the state’s employment laws, workers may call the Fair Labor Hotline at 617-727-3465 or visit mass.gov/ago/fairlabor for information available in multiple languages.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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