Wage Theft is a major issue nowadays and has been the biggest problem all over the world. Wage theft occurs when an employer does not pay an employee for his work, which he deserves. It is also considered a crime when an employer intentionally neglects to pay employee wages by breaking the law.
Every year, it is reported that around 50$ billion dollars are underpaid by companies, which can take as much as 10% of a worker’s annual earnings.
Contents
- 1 1. Different forms of Wage theft
- 1.1 2. Less paying than the actual minimum wage amount
- 1.2 3. Not paying on time
- 1.3 4. Not paying the final wages
- 1.4 5. Unwanted deduction from paychecks
- 1.5 6. The law based on Wage Theft
- 1.6 7. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
- 1.7 8. The Wage Theft Prevention Act (WTPA)
- 1.8 9. Is there any hope for claiming back wages?
1. Different forms of Wage theft
2. Less paying than the actual minimum wage amount
When work is assigned to a worker, then the wage is decided upon its working per hour. There has been a fixed charge per hour in some countries like America. They generally pay $9.8 per hour for large and $8 per hour for a small employer.
However, it varies from company to company. After completing that particular work, if the employer denies or fails to pay that specific worker the prerequisite amount as wages, it is considered Wage theft, and a Wage Theft lawyer should be on the Frontline for this case.
3. Not paying on time
When a worker toils hard for long hours and is expected to get his/her wages on time, an employer fails to provide that or deny it for baseless reasons, and if it exceeds even after 48 hours, it is also classified as Wage theft.
4. Not paying the final wages
This is so harsh that in our world, there are some disgusting employers, who cut out the wages of workers, who constantly work for a long hour, do not care about their salaries, and they do not even pay a single penny when a worker is fired or leaves for any reason.
5. Unwanted deduction from paychecks
When an employer holds back overtime rates, some benefits like commissions, or any seasonal bonus, include wage theft. It is an arbitrary choice of some employers who keep such unauthorized deductions from their wages as a punishment like stealing or damaging the employer’s property.
6. The law based on Wage Theft
At the federal level, some acts are implemented based on this Wage Theft.
7. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
This law specifies to all employees that if any worker complains of such Wage Theft, then as a punishment, he would be sent back to prison for a long time with up to 10,000$ penalty.
8. The Wage Theft Prevention Act (WTPA)
All states of America do not recognize this particular law. Still, it causes mostly private sectors to provide their workers with a written notice, where there is specified information like pay rates.
9. Is there any hope for claiming back wages?
Suppose you feel that you have been the victim of Wage theft. In that case, you should immediately consult any local Wage Theft lawyer and discuss your problems with them such that it will be an ideal way to sustain your rights.
As a local lawyer, he will be ready to help you in this matter by following legal lessons and guide you in each step of this process to give back you justice.
