Staff members at Sylvania Health Care are speaking out after claiming they have gone multiple pay periods without receiving their wages, leaving many struggling to cover basic living expenses. Current and former employees say the financial instability has become a recurring nightmare, with some reporting that direct deposits simply never hit their accounts or physical checks failed to arrive in the mail. For many workers, these disruptions began around June, coinciding with a change in management and a rebranding from its previous name, Divine Rehabilitation and Nursing of Sylvania.
The personal toll of the missing paychecks is becoming evident as bills pile up for those dedicated to patient care. Jewel Statham shared her frustration over mounting pressure from creditors, noting that her car payments are now overdue because of the delays. She dismissed occasional small cash handouts from the company as insufficient, stating that twenty dollar bills cannot replace a full salary. Other staff members expressed similar desperation, describing a cycle of broken promises where they were told payment would arrive by specific dates only to be left empty handed once again.
Despite the lack of consistent pay, employees say they continue to show up for their shifts to ensure patients aren’t neglected, often while working in short staffed conditions. Unique Smith described the experience as a struggle for survival, noting that it feels disheartening to provide essential labor without feeling appreciated or compensated. Ruth Clark added that the situation is fundamentally unfair, pointing out that while leadership continues their daily routines undisturbed, the frontline workers are left wondering how they will afford food and rent.
Attempts to get answers from Sylvania Health Care have been met with near total silence. Corporate offices have reportedly ignored phone calls from both distraught employees and journalists, and there is currently no way to leave a voicemail for administration. When reporters visited the facility in person, they were met by an employee who refused to provide his full identity or title before asking them to leave the premises. As of Friday morning, the company has offered no official explanation for why so many of its workers remain unpaid.