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Wage Theft is Criminal: Don’t Let Your Money Walk Away in Someone Else’s Pocket.

April 17, 2018 by  
Filed under Business, Money, Opinion, Weekly Columns

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(ThyBlackMan.com) Does the dollar amount on your paycheck look a little lower than you expected? Has your employer justified your status and what they pay you in a way that sounds as if it can’t be right? If so, they may be engaging in wage theft. Wage theft is a common, illegal practice that sees them getting the biggest benefit from your hard work. If you suspect that your boss is infringing on your rights, keep reading.

Minimum Wage: Where So Much Wage Theft Occurs

The law requires your employer to pay you a certain amount per hour, but many companies don’t comply. How many? According to the Economic Policy Institute, more than two million workers in ten states lose an average of eight billion dollars every year. That’s more than $3,000 per laborer; $3,000 that could lift them out of poverty, pay for their child’s education, or alleviate stressful debt.

Furthermore, these employers have a habit of stealing money from workers who fit into certain demographics. EPI’s study finds that women, young people, immigrants, and people of color are more likely to be stiffed. Incidentally, these exact groups comprise the majority of lower-wage workers, making the theft by their employer all the more damaging to their quality of life.

While minimum wage infractions are common, it’s not the only way employers steal money from low-wage workers. Be wary of managers that ask you to begin working before it’s time to clock in, don’t compensate you for overtime, or tell you that you must be paid less because you’re an independent contractor.

Getting What You’re Owed

Not every state cracks down on instances of wage theft hard enough, which can make your case tough to push through. Add to that the problem with evidence – many workers don’t have enough, and proving wage theft can be difficult.

Even if you are awarded your stolen wages, there’s not a lot of hope that you’ll get the full amount back. One UCLA study found that workers collect less than half of what they’re awarded.

Unfortunately, these lower totals would actually be gladly accepted by many underpaid laborers. In California, it is estimated that the majority of businesses on the hook for wage theft just close their business and move on. It’s not outside the realm of possibility that they open up shop elsewhere and continue to steal from their employees.

If your boss can’t explain away their practice of underpaying you, don’t hesitate to contact an attorney for wage theft. They’ll know the ins and outs of how employers pull off their heist, as well as the laws applicable to your situation. Be ever mindful that states often have a statute of limitations mandating how far back your claim can go, so it’s best to move on it quickly.

The statistics on wage theft can be disheartening. It can seem as though there’s no way to get your power back. But through all of this, remember that the law is on your side. With the right legal representation, you can begin to recoup the wages you worked for.

Staff Writer; Carl Wade


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