Scott, Delauro, Murray Introduce Bill to Stop Wage Theft and Improve Wage Recovery

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

May 10, 2022
Press Release

As originally released by the Committee on Education & Labor

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Chair of the House Education and Labor Committee Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Chair of the House Appropriations Committee Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), and Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced the Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act; comprehensive legislation to put hard-earned wages back in workers’ pockets and crack down on employers who unfairly withhold wages from their employees. This bill would give workers the right to receive full compensation for the work they perform, as well as the right to receive regular paystubs and final paychecks in a timely manner.

“It is unacceptable that dishonest employers can steal workers’ wages with little to no consequence. Each year, our most vulnerable workers are cheated out of billions of dollars. We cannot grow the middle class or expect workers to confidently return to the workforce when we don’t even have adequate deterrents to prevent wage theft,” said Chairman Scott. “Workers and employers must be able to trust that our labor laws will hold unscrupulous employers accountable for violating the law and help workers recover the wages stolen from them. This bill would take critical steps to help workers receive the full pay they’ve earned for all hours worked, including overtime pay, and level the playing field for law-abiding employers.”

“Simply put, the biggest economic challenge currently affecting workers across the country is that they are in jobs that do not pay them enough to survive. People are struggling. Every day, countless workers are punching in and working long hours for an honest day’s pay only to have their employers cheat them out of their wages. That is inexcusable, and Congress has the responsibility to act to ensure hard working people receive their hard-earned wages,” said Chair DeLauro. “The Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act is comprehensive legislation that will strengthen current federal law and empower employees to recover their lost wages. Whether it is compensation for a day’s work or overtime, employees should be paid what they earn. This legislation puts workers first and boosts economic security for families while helping our economy grow.”

“No worker should ever be cheated out of the hard-earned pay they have worked for—it’s as simple as that,” said Chair Murray. “That’s why I’m proud to join my colleagues to reintroduce the Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act, which strengthens federal protections to make sure all workers are paid for the work they’ve done—and can fully recover wages their employers have stolen from them. It’s time we pass this commonsense bill and ensure workers across the country get paid what they’ve earned.”

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Employers steal billions from workers’ paychecks each year

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on
Survey data show millions of workers are paid less than the minimum wage, at significant cost to taxpayers and state economies
Report – By David Cooper and Teresa Kroeger
May 10, 2017

What this report finds: This report assesses the prevalence and magnitude of one form of wage theft-minimum wage violations (workers being paid at an effective hourly rate below the binding minimum wage)-in the 10 most populous U.S. states. We find that, in these states, 2.4 million workers lose $8 billion annually (an average of $3,300 per year for year-round workers) to minimum wage violations-nearly a quarter of their earned wages. This form of wage theft affects 17 percent of low-wage workers, with workers in all demographic categories being cheated out of pay.

Why it matters: Minimum wage violations, by definition, affect the lowest-wage workers-those who can least afford to lose earnings. This form of wage theft causes many families to fall below the poverty line, and it increases workers’ reliance on public assistance, costing taxpayers money. Lost wages can hurt state and local economies, and it hurts other workers in affected industries by putting downward pressure on wages.

What can be done about it: Strengthen states’ legal protections against wage theft, increase penalties for violators, bolster enforcement capacities, and protect workers from retaliation when violations are reported.

Introduction and key findings
For the past four decades, the majority of American workers have been shortchanged by economic policymaking that has suppressed the growth of hourly wages and prevented greater improvements in living standards. Achieving a secure, middle-class lifestyle has become increasingly difficult as hourly pay for most workers has either stagnated or declined. For millions of the country’s lowest-paid workers, financial security is even more fleeting because of unscrupulous employers stealing a portion of their paychecks.

Wage theft, the practice of employers failing to pay workers the full wages to which they are legally entitled, is a widespread and deep-rooted problem that directly harms millions of U.S. workers each year. Employers refusing to pay promised wages, paying less than legally mandated minimums, failing to pay for all hours worked, or not paying overtime premiums deprives working people of billions of dollars annually. It also leaves hundreds of thousands of affected workers and their families in poverty. Wage theft does not just harm the workers and families who directly suffer exploitation; it also weakens the bargaining power of workers more broadly by putting downward pressure on hourly wages in affected industries and occupations. For many low-income families who suffer wage theft, the resulting loss of income forces them to rely more heavily on public assistance programs, unduly straining safety net programs and hamstringing efforts to reduce poverty.

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The Dotted Line: How employers can protect construction workers from external threats

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

This feature is a part of “The Dotted Line” series, which takes an in-depth look at the complex legal landscape of the construction industry. To view the entire series, click here.

 

AUTHOR Kim Slowey
PUBLISHED March 14, 2017

Construction sites are inherently dangerous places. Every year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration release data on injuries and deaths of construction workers, with many attributable to falls, excavation collapses, struck-by incidents – all the things one might expect to occur on a job site.

However, there are other threats facing construction workers that have nothing to do with the industry but everything to do with where construction sites happen are located. The potential danger of third-party violence and theft, drunk drivers and even terrorism all threaten today’s trade workers, more so if they are in what becomes the wrong place at the wrong time.

Employers must know their legal responsibilities when it comes to worker safety, from situations ranging from job site robbery to terrorism risks.

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