Citation Marks the First Time the Labor Commissioner Has Cited a Building Owner under a 2018 Statute
LOS ANGELES — The state of California has cited two Northern California janitorial services companies after an investigation showed the company serving as the subcontractor had not registered with the state.
Tres Inc., which performed janitorial work at several properties in Richmond, Calif. and other locations in California, was cited for $12,000 in registry violations. Tres, Inc. subcontracted the janitorial work to Alberto Godoy, who was cited $10,000 — totaling $22,000 in registration violations.
A provision of the Property Service Workers Protection Act that took effect on July 1, 2018 requires companies providing janitorial services to annually register with the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. Janitorial services companies that fail to register, as well as the entities that contract them, are subject to fines.
“Entities such as building owners, property managers, and even other janitorial services companies, subcontract work in order to cut corners, but then claim a lack of responsibility when the subcontracted company fails to pay wages or violate other workers’ rights. The registry requires that entities only do business with janitorial contractors that meet certain basic requirements, like holding worker’s compensation insurance and being free of unpaid wage theft citations. The state’s first citation demonstrates that state officials are enforcing this statute,” said Yardenna Aaron, executive director of the Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund.
Under the new labor code provisions, subcontractors are also held accountable for registry violations.
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The MCTF is a California statewide watchdog organization whose mission is to abolish illegal and unfair business practices in the janitorial industry. The MCTF investigates allegations of employment law violations and partners with local, state, and federal enforcement agencies to hold unscrupulous contractors accountable.