Did you know that wage theft happens more frequently than any other type of theft in the United States? Some reports estimate that workers lose roughly $482 million annually to wage theft. This far exceeds the total losses from robberies, burglaries and other common types of theft.
In other words, while many people worry about crimes like home burglaries, robberies or car thefts, they are statistically at a much greater risk of being robbed by their own employer. This often goes under the radar and does not make for sensational new stories the way a traditional robbery can, but looking at the numbers shows how prevalent it is.
How does wage theft occur?
One of the challenges with wage theft is that employees don’t always realize when it’s happening. Some common examples include:
- Failing to pay time-and-a-half for overtime hours
- Employers taking tips directly from employees or including themselves in a tip pool
- Failing to pay bonuses or commissions that are part of an employee’s earnings
- Not providing employees with proper benefits they’ve earned
- Docking employees’ paychecks for illegal reasons
- Making a retroactive pay cut that reduces pay for hours already worked
- Failing to pay employees in a timely manner
Many workers experience multiple instances of wage theft throughout their careers. As shown by the report above, the cumulative financial impact is significant.
If you believe you have been a victim of wage theft or other illegal workplace practices, be sure you understand the legal steps you can take to protect your rights. It can help to work with an experienced firm that has taken these types of cases before.