Minimum wage law

Labor Commissioner's Office Recovers $1 Million in Unpaid Wages for 239 Restaurant Workers

Retrieved on: 
Monday, March 18, 2019
United States labor law, Minimum wage law, Wage theft

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Labor Commissioner's Office has obtained a $1 million settlement from the owners of San Jose restaurant chain Burrito Factory to recover unpaid wages for 239 workers.

Key Points: 
  • SAN JOSE, Calif., March 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Labor Commissioner's Office has obtained a $1 million settlement from the owners of San Jose restaurant chain Burrito Factory to recover unpaid wages for 239 workers.
  • "This case is the latest in a string of investigations by the Labor Commissioner's Office that has resulted in putting earned wages into workers' pockets," said California Labor Secretary Julie A. Su.
  • The Labor Commissioner's Office entered into mediation talks with the restaurant chain in February after citations were issued for the labor law violations and the employer demonstrated its willingness to comply with state labor laws.
  • The campaign defines wage theft and informs workers of their rights and the resources available to them to recover unpaid wages or report other labor law violations.

Kevin De Leon, Workers and Immigrant Rights Activists File for Investigation of Immigration-Related Threats against Freehand Employees

Retrieved on: 
Friday, February 22, 2019
Travel, Lodging, Public policy, Government, Labor, Professional services, Human resources, Consumer, Gay & Lesbian, United States labor law, Minimum wage law, Wage theft, Labor relations

The complaint relies on protections under AB 263 (2013), which prohibits employers from engaging in unfair immigration-related practices against employees in retaliation for exercising their Labor Code rights.

Key Points: 
  • The complaint relies on protections under AB 263 (2013), which prohibits employers from engaging in unfair immigration-related practices against employees in retaliation for exercising their Labor Code rights.
  • This is one of the first times that the protections for immigrant workers enacted under AB 263 are being put to use in Los Angeles.
  • If found in violation, the Freehand Hotel could have all of its licenses temporarily suspended.
  • For months now, workers at the Freehand have been organizing in response to poor working conditions and possible wage theft.

Labor Commissioner's Office Cites RDV Construction $12 Million for Wage Theft Affecting More Than 1,000 Workers

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 11, 2019
Minimum wage law, United States labor law, Wage theft

After the checks bounced, RDV Construction failed to pay all wages due to the workers.

Key Points: 
  • After the checks bounced, RDV Construction failed to pay all wages due to the workers.
  • "Dodging labor laws and stealing wages hurts workers and creates unfair conditions for law-abiding employers," said California Labor Secretary Julie A. Su.
  • The Labor Commissioner's Office launched an investigation of RDV Construction, Inc. after workers complained about pay violations to Carpenters Contractors Cooperation Committee, a non-profit labor-management organization.
  • In 2014, the Labor Commissioner's Office under Julie A. Su's leadership launched the Wage Theft is a Crime multilingual public awareness campaign.

Labor Commissioner's Office Reaches $4 Million Settlement for 380 Bay Area Restaurant Workers

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
United States labor law, Minimum wage law, Wage theft

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --The Labor Commissioner's Office has reached a $4 million settlement with the owners of a Bay Area Burmese restaurant chain to repay 298 workers identified in a wage theft investigation last year.

Key Points: 
  • SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --The Labor Commissioner's Office has reached a $4 million settlement with the owners of a Bay Area Burmese restaurant chain to repay 298 workers identified in a wage theft investigation last year.
  • After working with the Labor Commissioner's Office, the Burmese chain agreed to pay the settlement in three payments.
  • "Workers deserve to be paid for their labor, and this settlement puts the earned wages back in their pockets," said California Labor Secretary Julie A. Su.
  • The Labor Commissioner's Office is mailing notification to the current and former restaurant workers of their expected settlement payments.

Baron & Budd Accepting Cases from Federal Contractors Who Worked without Pay

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Professional services, Human resources, Legal, Labour law, Minimum wage law, 75th United States Congress, Child labor in the United States, Child labour law, Fair Labor Standards Act, Liberalism in the United States, Law, FLSA, Wage and Hour Division, Overtime

Today, the national law firm of Baron & Budd announced that it is accepting cases on behalf of federal contractors who may not have been paid all of the wages due to them as a result of the federal government shutdown.

Key Points: 
  • Today, the national law firm of Baron & Budd announced that it is accepting cases on behalf of federal contractors who may not have been paid all of the wages due to them as a result of the federal government shutdown.
  • Contractors need to assess their work and pay eligibility status on a contact-to-contract basis.
  • Employees of federal contractors must be compensated according to the rules and regulations outlined by the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
  • The Federal government and employers who are primary contractors of the federal government must follow FLSA in paying employees fairly and enforcing work stops when needed.

Labor Commissioner's Office Secures $1.7 Million in Unpaid Wages for 56 Bay Area Restaurant Workers

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Minimum wage law, United States labor law, Wage theft, Wages and salaries, Wage, Business, Economy

Seizure of the assets occurred after the owners fraudulently transferred the restaurant's ownership to avoid paying workers the wages owed.

Key Points: 
  • Seizure of the assets occurred after the owners fraudulently transferred the restaurant's ownership to avoid paying workers the wages owed.
  • In late 2015, the Labor Commissioner's Office launched an investigation as part of a joint-enforcement effort with the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.
  • The Labor Commissioner's Office issued wage and civil penalty citations totaling more than $1.8 million.
  • The campaign defines wage theft and informs workers of their rights and the resources available to them to recover unpaid wages or report other labor law violations.

Recent developments in the wage drift in the euro area

Retrieved on: 
Friday, December 21, 2018
Economy, Wages and salaries, Labour economics, Wage, Unemployment, Minimum wage law, Minimum wage

Prepared by Gerrit Koester and Justine Guillochon The wage drift measures deviations between developments in actual wages and developments in negotiated wages.

Key Points: 
  • Prepared by Gerrit Koester and Justine Guillochon The wage drift measures deviations between developments in actual wages and developments in negotiated wages.
  • Given recent protracted declines in unemployment and increasing signs of labour shortages, this box reviews the role of the wage drift in recent developments in employee compensation.
  • Wage drift was the main driver of higher wage growth during the early phase of wage growth strengthening, but is now also supported by negotiated wages.
  • Changes in hours worked have not been decisive for the recent developments in the wage drift.
  • [1] Comparing changes in the contribution of hours worked per employee to growth in compensation per employee with the wage drift shows that the substantial reductions in hours worked per employee in 200809 and 201213 were unsurprisingly reflected in the strongly negative contributions of the wage drift to overall wage growth.
  • Since2014, however, changes in hours worked per employee have been only loosely related to changes in the wage drift in the individual quarters, indicating that changes in hours worked play a limited role in developments in the aggregate wage drift.
  • The wage drift tends to react relatively quickly to changes in cyclical labour market conditions.
  • As illustrated in ChartC, there is usually only a small lag in the response of the wage drift to changes in cyclical labour market conditions as measured by the change in the unemployment rate.
  • However, it should be noted that the typical relationships between the wage drift and cyclical labour market developments were a lot less visible during the period of subdued wage growth from 2013 to 2016.
  • Such a time lag and a higher persistence of negotiated wage growth is in line with bargaining processes in major euro area countries, which often fix wages for periods longer than one year.
  • Moreover, overlapping calendars in sectoral wage negotiations imply that normally not all contracts are negotiated in the same year and that it may thus take some time for cyclical developments to be fully reflected in aggregate negotiated wage growth.
  • ChartD Development of negotiated wage growth and the level of unemployment (left-hand scale: annual percentage changes, right-hand scale: percentage)

California's Minimum Wage to Increase to $12 and $11 per Hour

Retrieved on: 
Monday, December 10, 2018
Wages and salaries, United States labor law, Minimum wage law, Wage theft, Wage, Business, Economy, Minimum wage in South Korea

Among its wide-ranging enforcement responsibilities, the Labor Commissioner's Office adjudicates wage claims, inspects workplaces for wage and hour violations, investigates retaliation complaints and educates the public on labor laws.

Key Points: 
  • Among its wide-ranging enforcement responsibilities, the Labor Commissioner's Office adjudicates wage claims, inspects workplaces for wage and hour violations, investigates retaliation complaints and educates the public on labor laws.
  • In 2014, Labor Commissioner Julie A. Su launched the Wage Theft is a Crime multilingual public awareness campaign.
  • The campaign defines wage theft, educating workers on their rights and employers on their responsibilities under California labor laws.
  • DIR protects and improves the health, safety and economic well-being of over 18 million wage earners, and helps their employers comply with state labor laws.

New Federal DOL Tip Guidance Provides Flexibility For Hospitality, Other Employers, Says LeClairRyan Attorney

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Economy, Minimum wage law, Income in the United States, Tipped wage, Minimum wage, Gratuity, Wage, Minimum wage in the United States, Hourly worker

"The DOL's Opinion Letter FLSA2018-27 provides welcome guidance and flexibility to hospitality employers.

Key Points: 
  • "The DOL's Opinion Letter FLSA2018-27 provides welcome guidance and flexibility to hospitality employers.
  • However, it remains to be seen how the new guidance will be applied in different jurisdictions."
  • This "tip credit" makes up the difference between the regular minimum wage and the lower tipped minimum wage.
  • For example, using the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour and federal tipped minimum wage of $2.13 per hour, an employer could take a tip credit up to $5.12 per hour.

Workers Walk Out On Strike, Demand Justice

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
United States labor law, Minimum wage law, Wage theft

BOSTON, Nov. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --Last week members of the Workers Freedom Coalition-MPS, along with several community leaders, rallied in support of workers from MPS Products Corp, a structural ironwork subcontractor.

Key Points: 
  • BOSTON, Nov. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --Last week members of the Workers Freedom Coalition-MPS, along with several community leaders, rallied in support of workers from MPS Products Corp, a structural ironwork subcontractor.
  • Workers from multiple jobsites went on strike to address unsafe working conditions and wage theft at the company.
  • These actions resulted in thousands of dollars in missing wages and some workers are considering a wage theft lawsuit.
  • Other workers mentioned extremely hazardous jobsite conditions that have resulted in injuries including a ruptured spleen and two broken legs.