Office of Gov. Hochul – July 20, 2022
Wage Theft Task Force Recovers Nearly $3 Million in Restitution Owed to Workers and New York State
Launches New Hotline to Report Wage Theft and Recover Stolen Wages – 833-910-4378 – and Develops Online Wage Theft Reporting and Tracking Tool
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced major actions to combat wage theft and protect the paychecks of hardworking New Yorkers. The Governor announced that the Wage Theft Task Force, a coordinated effort between the New York State Department of Labor, the New York State Attorney General, and District Attorneys, has recently secured felony convictions and agreements from more than a dozen businesses and 265 individuals to pay nearly $3 million in wage restitution and contributions owed to New York State since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Governor also announced new efforts to double down on the success of the Task Force, launching a new hotline and developing a state-of-the-art online wage theft reporting system to create more opportunities for workers to report wage theft and receive what they are owed while protecting their privacy and safety.
Starting today, New Yorkers can report wage theft directly to the New York State Department of Labor by calling the new hotline at 833-910-4378, which has interpretation services available. The online reporting system will give New Yorkers the ability to report wage theft online in a variety of languages while improving the Department’s ability to track complaints and identify trends.
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“Wage theft is a serious issue and I join the Governor, Attorney General and the Department of Labor in saying that New York will not tolerate the theft of hardworking New Yorker’s livelihoods,” said Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado. “The measures announced today will help us combat this issue and bring restitution to these victims.”
To further empower New Yorkers to report theft, NYSDOL has also begun developing a new, state-of-the-art Worker Protection Management System, where New Yorkers can report claims online in multiple languages and receive updates in real time about the status of their claim. The $10 million project, set to be complete in 2023, will also provide the Department with real time data, enhancing its ability to analyze and identify violation trends. This builds on the Governor’s ongoing efforts to improve transparency and increase accountability in State government.
Wage Theft Task Force
The Wage Theft Task Force initially leveraged criminal laws to achieve justice for construction workers in cases involving wage theft, fraud, and safety hazards. The Task Force has recently expanded its scope into other industries and counties in New York State. The Wage Theft Task Force includes NYSDOL, the New York State Attorney General’s Office, the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF), the Offices of District Attorneys across the State, and the New York City Department of Investigation. The Task Force works closely with labor unions and community-based organizations as part of efforts to support workers and recover owed wages.