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Billions stolen in wage theft from US workers

theguardian.com

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Re: Billions stolen in wage theft from US workers

#81

Post by jmclnx »

wahnfrieden wrote: post #49
darth_avocado wrote: post #43

People thinking wage theft only affects lower wage workers, let me tell you how tech companies commit wage theft: 1. Having annual components to wages (RSUs, bonuses), making you work all year and firing you just before they have to pay you. 2. Having no overtime for salaried employees 3. Having employees work extra responsibilities that are not part of the job description by promising promotions and then not giving…

These are legalized forms of wage theft, the article is about the illegal forms. But yes the legal ones are just as unpleasant

Maybe, but I know of a case where a contractor for a fortune 500 company working in IT had I think some of his salary stolen (in Texas).

The company released the contract and he was put on the bench working for the contracting firm on their projects. They would pay him once per month. They fired him after a few months, not pay him is back pay.

He filed a claim with Texas, nothing was done. When he told me (a year or 2 later) I said he should file with the Federal Gov, but he did not want to.

So it can happen in office work too.

Re: Billions stolen in wage theft from US workers

#82

Post by wahnfrieden »

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #74
sneak wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$10/week/employee adds up over decades.

But is it worth the resentment from said employees? Having to deal with the revolving door of naive new staff that needs to be trained, get up to speed, then leaves again when they realize they're being stiffed or they can do better? It just doesn't feel sustainable. Not to mention the chance that you'll be found out by the authorities; I want to believe the punishment for wage theft is much more than the savings. Of…

It's worth it to the tune of $50 billion per year with only $3 billion recovered

Re: Billions stolen in wage theft from US workers

#83

Post by Cthulhu_ »

alkonaut wrote: post #42
dbingham wrote: post #26

One of the clearest illustrations of the deeply injust structural power imbalance at the heart of our economic system is wage theft. If your employer withholds $20 from your paycheck it's a civil violation of contract law. You have to go through an extremely onerous and convoluted process that very likely won't go anywhere. If, in response, you decide to pay yourself by taking $20 from the till, that's criminal theft…

I wonder if there has ever been a case (I'm sure there has) where someone stole say a $20 from the register, because the manager owed them $20. And whether the fact they could prove the manager owed them money made any difference in the theft case.

Two wrongs don't make a right in the eyes of the law I'm afraid. That said, there's been plenty of cases where the punishment for a crime was lessened due to the circumstances, like assault in self-defense. Dunno if that applies to theft vs wage theft though.

That said, it's not a crime if you don't get caught. This too goes both ways.

Re: Billions stolen in wage theft from US workers

#84

Post by vdaea »

wahnfrieden wrote: post #78
vdaea wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

> Since the implementation of the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy in 2019 and Title 42 in 2020, asylum seekers sent to Mexico have experienced kidnapping, rape, extortion, and other abuses by organized crime and Mexican officials. > When the United States sends migrants to Mexico, criminal cartels are enriched by kidnapping them and then extorting money from their US-based family members to secure their release. Just to co…

That's a shame but I don't see how that's the US responsibility. This seems like a call for imperialism more than anything else. Let Mexico govern themselves please.

Re: Billions stolen in wage theft from US workers

#85

Post by thaumasiotes »

darth_avocado wrote: post #43

People thinking wage theft only affects lower wage workers, let me tell you how tech companies commit wage theft: 1. Having annual components to wages (RSUs, bonuses), making you work all year and firing you just before they have to pay you. 2. Having no overtime for salaried employees 3. Having employees work extra responsibilities that are not part of the job description by promising promotions and then not giving…

> Having no overtime for salaried employees

This is just the definition of "salaried employee".

Re: Billions stolen in wage theft from US workers

#86

Post by yareal »

sixothree wrote: post #22
elzbardico wrote: post #3

The standard civil courts pipeline sucks as a mechanism for labor rights protection. You'll need expedited courts and a speedier process to dissuade this kind of thing. It needs to be as straightforward as child support law.

It should be as easy as going to the police.

Going to the police is dangerous. Cops hurt people, both intentionally and unintentionally. Never ever talk to cops unless you are legally compelled to do so, and only then with a lawyer.

Getting the cops involved is like showing up with an assault rifle. Even if you intend that no one gets hurt, it's a a dangerous escalation.

Re: Billions stolen in wage theft from US workers

#87

Post by Lalabadie »

avgcorrection wrote: post #73
spamizbad wrote: post #9

This phenomena is pretty widespread in the service industry and I would venture to say that a significant minority of businesses participate in some version of wage theft. For example, one of my jobs right out of high school was waiting tables at a local restaurant. If you were opening, the expectation from owners and management was you'd get in early to help open but would wait 15 minutes before service started befo…

> not only would they fire you but they'd call up all their industry buddies and you'd basically be on every other restaurants no-hire list. So like a much-dreaded union for employers except it’s underhanded and illegal.

But with enough lobbying, it _could_ be legal!

(This to point out that most lobbies are to employers what unions are to employees)

Re: Billions stolen in wage theft from US workers

#88

Post by brvsft »

wahnfrieden wrote: post #78
vdaea wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

> Since the implementation of the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy in 2019 and Title 42 in 2020, asylum seekers sent to Mexico have experienced kidnapping, rape, extortion, and other abuses by organized crime and Mexican officials. > When the United States sends migrants to Mexico, criminal cartels are enriched by kidnapping them and then extorting money from their US-based family members to secure their release. Just to co…

How is the US responsible for Mexicans raping other Mexicans? Is it our responsibility to stop all bad things from happening or just those that happen in Mexico? Should we have a police force on Mexican soil?

Re: Billions stolen in wage theft from US workers

#89

Post by alkonaut »

Workaccount2 wrote: post #53
alkonaut wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most of the factors are beyond your control when it comes to how busy a place is. Sure a smile helps fill a restaurant, but mostly - it's other people's responsibility. Anyone employed full time in an empty restaurant for a full month should both make a living wage AND have 40h work. If there isn't enough work to fill the shifts, or enough guests to make tips - that's not the service staff's problem, it's the owner.

If you are working at a place that doesn't have volume for a month...thats on you. Restaurants are a dime a dozen and slow ones die quick. Getting a job at one is simply filling out an application and talking to the manager. It's very easy. Sure, if you live in rural area maybe it can be tough, but if you are in the 80% who live in metro areas, the bar is very low to find a place(s) where you can do well.

I guess waiting staff was always seen as a "gig economy" in the US. (Where I live, it's a salaried job, 3-6 months of notice from the employer and so on.)

Re: Billions stolen in wage theft from US workers

#90

Post by andrewoneone »

spamizbad wrote: post #9

This phenomena is pretty widespread in the service industry and I would venture to say that a significant minority of businesses participate in some version of wage theft. For example, one of my jobs right out of high school was waiting tables at a local restaurant. If you were opening, the expectation from owners and management was you'd get in early to help open but would wait 15 minutes before service started befo…

I worked at Texas Roadhouse as a kid and this was the norm even for a chain.
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