EEOC Sues Alternate Solutions Health Network and Inova Home Health for Pay Discrimination

WASHINGTON—Inova Home Health, LLC (IHH), which is owned in-part and managed by Alternate Solutions Health Network, LLC (ASHN), provides home health care coordination services to patients at the Inova Health System in northern Virginia, including through the services of their Post-Acute Care Coordinators (PACCs). IHH and ASHN violated civil rights laws by paying female PACCs less than male PACCs the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleged in a lawsuit it filed.

“Equal pay for equal work—it’s a simple premise and important legal obligation,” said Debra Lawrence, EEOC’s regional attorney in Philadelphia. “The EEOC will hold employers accountable when they violate this obligation.”

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, female PACCs were paid less than male coworkers for performing equal work under similar working conditions. Female PACCs, who were excellent workers with no performance issues, were paid less than their newly hired male counterparts despite having more job-related experience in the health care field and more seniority in the PACC position. ASHN and IHH also refused to adjust female PACCs’ wages after receiving a complaint of pay discrimination.

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which prohibit pay discrimination based on sex. The EEOC filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (EEOC v. Alternate Solutions Health Network, LLC and Inova Home Health, LLC., Case No. 1:23-cv-00264), after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The EEOC’s litigation effort will be led by Senior Trial Attorney Thomas D. Rethage and Assistant Regional Attorney Maria L. Morocco.

“As wage disparities persist decades after passage of laws prohibiting sex-based pay discrimination, it’s clear that much work remains to be done in our efforts to end such discrimination,” The EEOC’s Washington Field Office Director Mindy Weinstein said.

The EEOC is seeking back pay, liquidated damages, punitive and compensatory damages, the elimination of the pay disparities and other injunctive relief to correct and prevent future pay discrimination.

For more information about equal pay and compensation, visit eeoc.gov/equal-paycompensation-discrimination.

The EEOC’s Philadelphia District Office has jurisdiction over Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, parts of New Jersey and Ohio. Attorneys in the Philadelphia District Office also prosecute discrimination cases in Washington, D.C. and parts of Virginia.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to its email updates.