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There are many ways in which an employer can steal money from an employee. For instance, a Massachusetts company could fail to pay its workers an overtime wage or fail to pay the minimum wage. Employers may also fail to compensate their people for time spent doing work while not on the clock. Finally, companies may decide to designate their workers as independent contractors as opposed to employees.
According to a study from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), workers in the 10 most populous states lose $8 billion per year because of wage theft. That is roughly half of the total losses related to property theft each year in the United States. The EPI believes that $15 billion is lost because of wage theft throughout the country based on figures in those 10 most populated states. While employees can file lawsuits, it can be difficult for most to do so.
This is because they don’t always have the time or money to go to court and have their voices heard. Furthermore, the Supreme Court has said that employers have the right to require employees to sign away their right to file lawsuits as a class. This is why cities such as El Paso and New York City have made it a priority to prosecute wage theft cases.
Workers who believe that their employers are not paying them properly may have the right to file a lawsuit. If their cases are successful, they might be entitled to back pay plus other financial compensation. Boston, Massachusetts, attorneys for incorrect pay disputes for employees may use pay records and other evidence to show that a worker was not paid in full for all hours worked. Other relief might be available if a worker was retaliated against for filing a wage theft claim.