Wage theft does not top the list of concerns for most employers or employees. Nevertheless, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) found that 2.4 million workers in the ten most populous states lose $8 billion in combined income annually. That amounts to about one-third of all property theft each year. This averages to be about $64 per worker per week for an annual total of $3,300. Here in California, the Department of Labor claims there are 372,000 minimum wage violations each week.
Wage theft runs into the billions
Federal rules involving overtime to change
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has finalized new rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for overtime. The federal agency determined that most workers who fall under the FLSA qualify for overtime when they work over 40 hours per week. This change will increase the number of workers eligible for overtime by an estimated 1.3 million employees here in the U.S.
Important new employment laws for 2020
Governor Gavin Newsom closed out the 2019 legislative session by signing dozens of bills, including 15 that will impact the rights of employers and employees.
