Study Finds a Majority of Employees Have Been Denied Proper Pay
A recent study based on workers in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago found that low-wage workers are routinely denied proper overtime pay and are often paid less than the minimum wage. In addition, at least 68% of workers interviewed had experienced at least one pay-related violation in the previous workweek. This study, the most comprehensive examination of wage-law violations in a decade, demonstrates how important California’s wage and hour laws are.
Of particular note, the study revealed that women were far more likely to suffer minimum wage violations than men, with female illegal immigrants suffering the most. Among American-born workers, African Americans had a violation rate nearly triple that for whites.
According to the study, employees are losing $51 a week, of the average weekly earnings of $339. That is a great deal of money to someone living at or below the poverty level, and demonstrates how important it is that workers know their rights. For example, how many workers know they are entitled to time and a half if they work over 8 hours in one day or 40 hours in one week? And if they work off the clock, do they know they are entitled to pay for that time worked, or do they think it is just another “policy” that they have to endure?
This study demonstrates that workers need advocates to stop hold employers liable for wage and overtime violations.
