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Two Hotel Cleaning Companies to Pay $290,000 in Settlement Over Unpaid Overtime to D.C. Housekeepers

July 23, 2025

Two cleaning companies, J&B Cleaning Services and Cuzco Facilities Services, have agreed to pay $290,000 to settle allegations that they failed to pay required overtime wages to hotel housekeepers in Washington, D.C. The settlement includes $215,000 in restitution for 323 workers and $75,000 in civil penalties following an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General sparked by a tip from the hospitality workers' union UNITE HERE Local 25. Investigators found that employees working for both companies in the same workweek weren't paid the legally required time-and-a-half for hours worked beyond 40 from January 2021 through this year. The companies, which share common ownership, will implement several compliance measures while denying any wrongdoing.

Who is affected

  • 323 current and former hotel housekeepers who worked for J&B Cleaning Services and Cuzco Facilities Services
  • The District of Columbia, which will receive civil penalties and any undistributed funds
  • J&B Cleaning Services and Cuzco Facilities Services, who must pay the settlement and implement compliance measures
  • Hotel workers in D.C. more broadly, who benefit from enforcement of overtime laws

What action is being taken

  • The two cleaning companies are paying $215,000 in restitution to workers and $75,000 in civil penalties
  • A third-party administrator is being hired to manage the claims process and distribute payments
  • The companies are training managers about overtime laws
  • The companies are providing notices to employees about overtime rights in both English and Spanish
  • The Office of the Attorney General is accepting complaints about wage theft violations through their website

Why it matters

  • Workers will receive approximately three times the amount initially withheld in wages
  • The settlement addresses wage theft during a time when working families are struggling with increasing costs of living
  • The action puts money "back where it belongs" in the pockets of workers with physically demanding jobs
  • The settlement serves as a warning to other companies that contract with D.C. hotels about respecting workers' rights
  • It demonstrates enforcement of the District's Minimum Wage Revision Act and Wage Payment and Collection Law

What's next

  • Workers will have 90 days from notification to file claims for their portion of the settlement
  • The companies must submit a compliance report within 13 months documenting all hours worked and overtime paid
  • Any undistributed funds will be turned over to the District

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer