Wage Theft

Each year, $15 billion in wages are stolen from workers across the United States.  According to the California Department of Industrial Relations, in 2020 over 7,000 wage theft claims were filed in the Bay Area alone.  

Wage theft can happen to anyone.  Wage theft is the practice of employers failing to pay workers the full wages to which they are legally entitled.  Common types of wage theft include: 

• Receiving pay less than minimum wage 
• Working off the clock 
• Not being paid for overtime work 
• Stolen tips / your supervisor keeps a portion of your tips (Additional information on tips and gratuities)

• Missing meal or rest breaks 
• Not receiving a final paycheck after leaving a job 
• Late payments/ paycheck
• Non-sufficient funds (NSF)/ bounced check
• Not being paid at all 
• Being classified as an independent contractor when you’re an employee 

Questions about wage theft? Unsure if you have experienced wage theft? Call OLSE’s free legal advice line at 1-866-870-7725. Advice line support is available in English, Español, Tiếng Việt, 中文, and Tagalog. 

 

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