A former operator of a Missouri nursing home will pay a $40,000 settlement for allegedly paying female staff less than their male counterparts, according to a Dec. 2 news release from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Edgewood Manor OPCO, a former owner of Raytown, Mo.-based Edgewood Manor Center for Rehab and Healthcare, will pay to settle the lawsuit filed by the EEOC.
The EEOC initially sued on behalf of one female licensed practical nurse, but later said an additional 11 women were also paid less than men. In total, 12 female LPNs that worked at the facility from 2017-20 were paid less than their male counterparts, according to the EEOC. The company paid female LPNs $20 to $26.50 per hour based on years of experience while paying male LPNs with the same or less experience $25 to $27 an hour, according to the news release.
According to the EEOC, a judge approved the consent decree that awarded $40,000 in monetary damages to the 12 women. The decree requires Edgewood Manor OPCO, which no longer owns the nursing home, to have professionals review its practice of payment if it continues operations of any skilled nursing facility in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska or Illinois for two years.
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