Wage theft occurs when employers refuse to pay part or all of a worker’s regular wages, overtime or other earned compensation, or when workers are misclassified as independent contractors. Employers who commit wage theft rob DC of revenues through tax and payroll fraud. By cheating workers out of wages, these employers also depress consumer spending and stunt economic growth.

In 2011 and 2012, wage theft accounted for 398 cases at the EJC Workers’ Rights Clinic. The EJC found that wage theft occurs in all industries, but is especially prevalent in construction, restaurants, security, and domestic work. Victims are U.S. citizens and immigrants; men and women of every race and ethnicity; and both full-time and contingent workers.

The EJC is a leading force in the DC Wage Theft Coalition, a group of labor, community, and workers’ rights organizations working together to end the egregious practice of wage theft in Washington, DC. The coalition supports a group of dedicated worker activists, many of whom have personally experienced wage theft and recognize the importance of pursuing systemic change to stop these practices in the district.

In order to stop wage theft, we need stronger worker protection laws, more capacity at the DC Office of Wage-Hour to recover workers’ wages, and public accountability of individual employers who commit these violations.  We need your help in fighting back against wage theft. Please sign our wage theft petition and email advocacy@dcejc.org to find out how you can get involved.

 

We need your help to win this campaign to stop wage theft.

Please sign the wage theft petition so we can show the strength of our numbers and keep you in the loop on future events.