A New York City construction firm will pay $1.5 million to settle charges that it violated state workers’ compensation laws, retaliating against injured workers, and failing to address sexual harassment in the workplace.
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the settlement with Alba Services, Inc., its owner Andrew Horan, and a network of related New York City construction and demolition companies.
James said an investigation by her office uncovered unlawful practices dating back nearly a decade and impacting more than 700 workers.
OAG found that between 2016 and 2024, Alba failed to report hundreds of workplace injuries to the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) as required by law and explicitly instructed employees not to file eligible claims. Of the injuries Alba was legally required to report, OAG said it found that Alba reported less than half, which helped to reduce its insurance costs and giving it an unfair advantage over competitors.
According to the affidavit signed by Horan, Alba retaliated against employees who sought to file claims through harassment, threats, and financial incentives to stay silent. The company posted flyers publicly naming workers who had filed claims, accusing them of fraud and offering $5,000 for information leading to their arrests. Horan would also send text messages to his foremen unlawfully exposing the workers’ names and offering cash rewards for information about them. The OAG documented at least 60 instances in which Alba unlawfully disclosed workers’ names.
The investigation further revealed that Alba would sometimes interfere with medical treatment by sending company representatives to accompany injured workers to urgent care centers or hospitals and misrepresent how and where the injury occurred. Alba directed its workers to specific clinics it had agreements with to conceal workplace injuries.
In addition, OAG found that Alba failed to prevent sexual harassment and retaliated against employees who reported misconduct. At least two workers described repeated harassment by a foreman who sent inappropriate messages, made unwanted comments on their appearance, and engaged in physical contact.
Under the terms of the settlement, Alba must pay $1.4 million in restitution to current and former Alba employees and adopt reforms to comply with New York’s labor and human rights laws. In addition, Alba must pay $100,000 for a settlement administrator.
In addition to Alba Services, the order affects Alba Carting & Demolition, dba Compac Industries 2, Alba Environment Al, Alba Core & Shell, Alba Electric Corp., Arc Contracting Inc., Caledonia Carting Services, CSC Services Corp., Gurteen Business Solutions, Volk Industrial Services Corp., and Alba Management Inc.
Topics New York Construction
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