Philadelphia officials have placed three local businesses on the city's "bad actors" list, a public database which outs employers with repeated, unresolved worker complaints.

MORE: Police offer $5,000 reward for help in 2019 case of man who was fatally shot while waiting for help with flat tire

Flex Fitness Jungle Gym, Design Pro Development and No Comparison Cleaning Services have all landed on the list for the first time. Each of the companies owes unpaid wages to at least one employee, the Labor Department said, and they also have not paid fines due to the city for labor law violations.

Design Pro Development's outstanding balance is the highest, per the report. The real estate developer allegedly owes $5,820.89 in unpaid wages to one worker and $250 in fines to the city. Flex Fitness Jungle Gym and its employer Jermaine Quinones have three unresolved worker complaints, the city says, as well as $1,553.50 due in unpaid wages to two employees and $1,000 in fines. No Comparison Cleaning Services and employer Eric Rodrigues owe $575.85 in unpaid wages to one worker and $500 in fines stemming from two complaints, according to officials.

Logan Kramer, the founder and CEO of Design Pro Development, strongly disputed his company's inclusion on the list and claimed he had received no communication from the city.

"We were previously unaware of this matter and are currently investigating the basis for our company’s inclusion in the report," he said. "We intend to appeal the decision, as we do not concur with the findings. For more than a decade, our organization has maintained a strong reputation as an exemplary employer in Philadelphia, with no record of violations or human resources issues. Upon learning of this information, we have taken immediate steps to address it. We reserve all rights regarding our alleged misidentification in this document. We strongly disagree with being named in this report and will be filing legal suit and an appeal."

Flex Fitness Jungle Gym did not immediately respond to request for comment. The phone number listed on No Comparison Cleanings Services' claimed Yelp page no longer connects to the business.

The "bad actors" list, created in 2020 and codified into law last year, is meant to hold offenders accountable. They can come off the list if they pay outstanding fines or wages and are notified prior to its publication. 

"Most Philadelphia employers who make mistakes work with us to correct them," Olive Kuhn, interim director of the Office of Worker Protections, said in a statement. "But the employers on this list were given multiple opportunities to resolve their violations and still refused to make things right. Wage theft means workers weren’t paid for the hours they worked, and we are committed to ensuring every worker in Philadelphia receives the wages they are owed."

The Office of Worker Protections has received 548 complaints about wage theft, denied sick leave and other issues since January. It has collected $111,103.68 in damages for workers and $27,500.00 in fines so far this year.

Follow Kristin & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @kristin_hunt | @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Have a news tip? Let us know.