Wage Theft
Wage theft happens when workers are not paid all or part of the wages they have earned. Some ways that employers fail in this area are violating minimum-wage laws, failing to pay overtime, misclassification of employees as independent contractors, not paying benefits, forcing employees to work “off the clock.” These are just a few of the more obvious ways employers fail in their obligations towards employees. Wage theft is very common in the United States. The Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to keep detailed records concerning the identity of workers and hours worked by all workers. However, several states do not require this documentation.
In 2020, 16% of U.S. teenagers, ages 12 to 17, experienced anxiety and/or depression which was a 33% increase from 2016. This was just a difference of four years. In 2021 the number increased to 42%. 22% had considered suicide and 10% had attempted suicide.
In 2018 there were estimated eight million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. work force. Most occupy low-wage jobs in agriculture, construction, food service, domestic work, and day labor. Employers often use the threat of immigration enforcement to create an atmosphere of exploitation. Consequently, undocumented workers are reluctant to report abusive employer practices.
It was reported that in 2021 nearly 400,000 children entered the United States without their parents. Many of them end up working in the roofing industry. These young roofers travel to different jobs in different state work sites. Roofers can be paid twice as much money as having a job on the ground. Often these child roofers lack the proper equipment needed to work on roofs. Consequently, they lack eye and face protection and fall off ladders. Because of the lack of sufficient inspectors, these violations go unnoticed.
One local advocacy organization, Strangers No Longer, in southeast Michigan is working to change the laws of wage theft for undocumented immigrants. In the state legislature there are currently 18 bills addressing wage theft.
Wage theft is a national issue that must be addressed on the national and state level. An example of this is the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist fire. Flames engulfed a building and 146 people died, 125 of them were immigrant women and girls. There are many other examples of wage theft in our country’s history. The AFL-CIO, the largest U.S. labor organization, has long argued that a path to legal status for millions of undocumented workers is crucial to reducing wage theft that harms all workers.
More information can be found about wage theft on the internet. I encourage readers to learn more about this very important topic.
Ann Kasparek, smr