Wage theft is so common that many workers may not even realize that they’re victims of it. If you have experienced wage theft by an employer you may be able to file a claim against your employer.
Victims of wage theft may be entitled to lump sums of money for the wages that were kept from them.
What Is Wage Theft?
Wage theft occurs when employers don’t pay employees money that they are owed for their labor or when employers take money from employees that they’re not legally allowed to take.
Any worker can be the victim of wage theft, but tipped workers, workers that work for cash, and hourly workers are the most likely to experience wage theft. Some of the most common ways that wage theft occurs are:
- You’re a tipped worker and your employer takes your tips. Or your manager makes all the tipped staff pool their tips and then the manager distributes them.
- You’re an hourly worker that is told you must come in 30 minutes earlier than your scheduled shift to set up or do extra work, or you’re told that you must remain 30 minutes after your shift to do extra work but you must only clock in or clock out at your assigned shift time. That’s wage theft. You are entitled to be paid for all of the work that you do.
- You are told to eat lunch at your desk and work through your unpaid meal break. Or, you are told that to hit a quota you must work through an unpaid break and you aren’t paid for that time.
- You are not paid for time that you are driving to a jobsite or work location.
- You’re an hourly worker and your boss takes money from your paycheck for meals, uniforms, or lodging.
- You’re a tipped worker whose tips don’t bring your pay up to minimum wage but your boss refuses to make up the difference.
Always keep your pay stubs and earnings statements. If money is taken out of your check keep those records too. And keep an accounting of your tips. You will need to be able to prove how much money you were paid.
What Should I Do If I’ve Experienced Wage Theft In Massachusetts?
If you’ve experienced wage theft in Massachusetts you can file a claim with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division. The Fair Labor Division will investigate your claim and may help you get the money that you’re owed.
How Do I File A Massachusetts Wage Theft Claim?
You can file a claim against your employer for wage theft online through the Massachusetts Fair Labor Division’s website. Make sure that you submit paystubs, earning statements, W-2s, and other financial documents that back up your claim. You must have proof of how much money you were paid.
Further Reading: How To Report Wage Theft In Massachusetts
Get Help With Your Massachusetts Wage Theft Claim
Everyone has a right to fair pay. If you have not paid the money you should have been paid by an employer you should talk with a Massachusetts employment law attorney about your options. You can complete the Free Case Evaluation on this page to get connected with an independent, participating attorney who subscribes to the website.
