Wage theft: His paycheck bounced. It got worse from there.

[Judi Lynn]

By ALEXIA FERNÁNDEZ CAMPBELL
an hour ago

On a Tuesday afternoon last June, Humberto was yanking old wires from the walls of a middle school in suburban Birmingham, Alabama, when his cellphone rang.

Humberto’s wife, who had just returned from her weekly trip to the grocery store, was on the line. “Our account is negative,” she said.

The 45-year-old electrician, who spoke on the condition that he be identified by his middle name because he is undocumented, had been working 10 hours a day, six days a week as part of a $200 million renovation project. This was how he learned that his $1,250 paycheck had bounced.

And so began Humberto’s thus far unsuccessful quest to get an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work — a struggle familiar to many other victims of wage theft who battle for months or years for the money they’re due.

Companies that rely on low-wage workers are most likely to get caught cheating their employees, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of minimum wage and overtime violations from the U.S. Department of Labor. In 2019 alone, the agency cited about 8,500 employers for taking about $287 million from workers.

More:
https://apnews.com/article/theft-government-and-politics-business-d3ee8caa63efbd74d351eaeed6836b2a

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[Sherman A1]

2. The employer deserves jail time

And lots of it. If anything happens it will likely be a fine and slap on the wrist.

Wage theft is just so damn infuriating to me.

[rampartc]

4. nothing will happen to the employer

who will be hiring another undocumented immigrant .

humberto and his family will be deported.

[quakerboy]

3. Seems the general worst case

For employers stealing from employees is they have to pay the amount it can be proven they failed to pay.

Not much disincentive there.