Rindfleisch v. Gentiva Health Services, Inc.

962 F. Supp. 2d 1310, 2013 WL 4494375, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 121607
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Georgia
DecidedJuly 26, 2013
DocketCivil Action No. 1:10-cv-03288-SCJ
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 962 F. Supp. 2d 1310 (Rindfleisch v. Gentiva Health Services, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rindfleisch v. Gentiva Health Services, Inc., 962 F. Supp. 2d 1310, 2013 WL 4494375, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 121607 (N.D. Ga. 2013).

Opinion

ORDER

STEVE C. JONES, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on Gentiva Health Services, Inc.’s (“Gentiva”) Motion to Exceed Page Limits for Dispositive Motions [Doc. No. 497], Plaintiffs’ Motion to Strike the Expert Report and Testimony of Alfred H. Perry, or, in the Alternative, Notice of Objection to the Same [Doc. No. 578], Plaintiffs’ Motion to Strike the Declaration and Testimony of Alfred B. Robinson, Jr., or, in the Alternative, Notice of Objection to the Same [Doc. No. 621], Gentiva’s Motion to Strike Plaintiffs’ Response to Gentiva’s Statement of Supplemental Facts in Opposition to Plaintiffs’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment [Doc. No. 623], Gentiva’s Request for Oral Argument on its Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on the Lawfulness of its Fee Payments [Doc. No. 572], Gentiva’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on the Lawfulness of its Fee Payments [Doc. No. 512], Plaintiffs’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment [Doc. No. 502], and Gentiva’s Motion for Summary Judgment on the “Uniqueness” [1313]*1313of Class Members’ Duties Under the FLSA’s “Fee Basis” Regulation [Doc. No. 511]. For the reasons explained in this order, Gentiva’s motion to exceed page limits is GRANTED, Plaintiffs’ motion to strike the expert report of Alfred H. Perry, Plaintiffs’ motion to strike the declaration Alfred B. Robinson, Jr., and Gentiva’s motion to strike Plaintiffs’ response to Gentiva’s supplemental facts are DENIED, Gentiva’s request for oral argument is DENIED, Gentiva’s motion for partial summary judgment on the lawfulness of its fee payments is DENIED, Plaintiffs’ motion for partial summary judgment is GRANTED, and Gentiva’s motion for summary judgment on the “uniqueness” of class members’ duties is DISMISSED AS MOOT.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Gentiva provides home healthcare services to patients throughout the United States [Doc. No. 508, l].1 To provide these services, Gentiva employs registered nurses and physical or occupational therapists to provide in-home healthcare to Gentiva’s patients (collectively “Clinicians”) [Doc. No. 508, 1]. Since December of 2008, Gentiva pays the majority of its Clinicians on a pay per-visit plan (the “PPV Plan”) [Doc. No. 586, 4-5].2 Under the PPV Plan, Clinicians are paid a set fee for a “routine visit” to a patient’s home (“visit fees”) [Doc. No. 586, 14], These visit fees do not vary based on the time it takes Clinicians to complete a specific in-home visit [id. at 15], In addition, Clinicians under the PPV Plan are also paid on what Gentiva describes as a “flat rate” for non-visit related work (“non-visit fees”) [id. at 19]. In setting the amount of non- ■ visit fees, Gentiva factors in the amount of time it takes Clinicians to perform a specific non-visit related activity [id].

Gentiva maintains that the PPV Plan constitutes a “fee basis” payment under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), 29 U.S.C. § 201 et seq. [id. at 14]. Therefore, Gentiva classifies all of its Clinicians compensated under the PPV Plan as professional employees exempt from overtime compensation under the FLSA [id. at 10].

On May 10, 2010, former Clinicians Lisa Rindfleisch, Tiffany Melendez, Michelle Gentile, Laurie Baker, and Christina Nelmes (collectively “named plaintiffs”) filed this action, on behalf of themselves and other similarly situated individuals, against Gentiva seeking overtime wages under the FLSA [Doc. No. 1, l].3 In support of their FLSA claim, named plaintiffs [1314]*1314assert that the PPV Plan, because the amount of the non-visit fees incorporates the time it takes Clinicians to complete a specific non-visit activity, constitutes payment on both a fee basis and hourly basis [Doc. No. 502-1, 12-14]. Based on this allegation, named plaintiffs assert that the PPV Plan is a “hybrid compensation system” and, therefore, is not a valid fee basis payment that would exempt them or other .Clinicians from receiving overtime pay [id.]. Therefore, named plaintiffs assert that Gentiva owes all former and current Clinicians paid under the PPV Plan overtime compensation under the FLSA [Doc. No. 1, 22], On April 13, 2011, 2011 WL 1878850, this action was conditionally certified as a collection action under the FLSA, with the class consisting of all Clinicians employed three years prior to April 13, 2011 [Doc. No. 167,11-13].

On May 26, 2011, in order to expedite this proceeding, this Court bifurcated this case into a liability phase and a damages phase [Doc. No. 194, 6]. This action is currently in the liability phase, which concerns whether the PPV Plan is unlawful under the FLSA [id. at 6-7]. The damages phase, if the PPV Plan is found to be unlawful, will address which Plaintiffs (meaning the named plaintiffs and the Clinicians who have opted into this action) were improperly denied overtime compensation by Gentiva [id. at 7]. In summary, the only issue for the Court to determine at this stage of the litigation process is whether or not the PPV Plan is unlawful under the FLSA.

As discovery in the liability phase has concluded, Plaintiffs have filed a motion for partial summary judgment regarding the legality of the PPV Plan [Doc. No. 502, 1], Likewise, Gentiva has filed the following motions regarding this action’s core liability issue: 1. A motion for partial summary judgment on the lawfulness of its fee payments [Doc. No. 512, 1]; and 2. A motion for summary judgment on the “uniqueness” of class members’ duties under the FLSA’s “fee basis” regulation [Doc. No. 511, 1]. In connection with these motions for summary judgment on the liability issue, the following motions have also been filed: 1. Gentiva’s motion to exceed page limits for dispositive motions [Doc. No. 497, 1]; 2. Plaintiffs’ motion to strike the expert report and testimony of Alfred H. Perry, or, in the alternative, notice of objection to the same [Doc. No. 578, 1]; 3. Plaintiffs motion to strike the declaration and testimony of Alfred B. Robinson, Jr., or, in the alternative, notice of objection to the same [Doc. No. 621, 1]; 4. Gentiva’s motion to strike Plaintiffs’ response to Gentiva’s statement of supplemental facts in opposition to Plaintiffs’ motion for partial summary judgment [Doc. No. 623, 1]; and 5. Gentiva’s request for oral argument on its motion for partial summary judgment on the lawfulness of its fee payments [Doc. No. 572, l].4 As each is ripe for adjudication, the Court addresses the aforementioned motions below.

II. GENTIVA’S MOTION TO EXCEED PAGE LIMITS FOR DISPOSITIVE MOTIONS

Local Rule 7.1(D) states that “briefs filed in support of a motion or in response to a motion are limited in length to twenty-five (25) pages.” LR 7.1(D), N.D.Ga. In this action, Gentiva has filed two motions for summary judgment on the liability issue, attaching with each motion a brief in support that greatly exceeds the 25 page limitation.5 However, before filing [1315]*1315its motions for summary judgment, Gentiva filed a separate motion requesting “leave of this Court to file briefs in support of its two motions for summary judgment on class-wide liability that exceed the 25-page limitation set forth in Rule 7.1D of the Local Rules of this Court” [Doc. No.

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962 F. Supp. 2d 1310, 2013 WL 4494375, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 121607, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rindfleisch-v-gentiva-health-services-inc-gand-2013.