Wage Theft: The New American Crime?

Each week, millions of dollars are stolen from American families. The perpetrators act with impunity. There are no arrests, few convictions, and largely meaningless fines. What is the crime wave in America? Wage theft. Many working people are paid less than the legal minimum, not paid for overtime, made to work off the clock, and deprived of legal protections through false classification as independent contractors. If economic losses like these were visited upon big brand retail stores or well-healed neighborhoods, the cry for strict law enforcement would force police chiefs and mayors into rapid response. A groundbreaking study of low wage industries – including apparel, restaurants, car washes, and construction – found that 26 percent of workers were paid less than minimum wage, 75 percent of those who worked overtime did not receive overtime pay, 25 percent were forced to work before or after their shifts had ended, and a vast majority of this work – 70 percent – was completely “off-the books.”