What forms of wage theft prevention exist to help workers in Texas?

Houston, TX – Many workers will experience some kind of improper pay or wage theft throughout the course of their career. Because this has become such a common problem, many pieces of legislation have been passed and various efforts have been made to educate employers and prevent them from exploiting their workers through improper pay.

How wage theft happens

Some wage theft is an honest mistake that occurs due to improper deductions, administrative errors, or payroll system problems. In these cases, the worker can normally bring the issue to their employer’s attention and have it resolved. In other situations, the employer may be deliberately trying to steal from workers in order to save money. This is often more difficult to detect, as the employer is depending on things such as underpaying workers, having them do unpaid work, or misclassifying them as part of their business model. Outside intervention may be necessary if the employer is unwilling to cooperate with workers who report missing wages.

Wage theft prevention measures

When the Fair Labor Standards Act took effect, it detailed procedures for following minimum wage laws, overtime, and other related matters that directly affect a worker’s pay. Another later law called the Wage Theft Prevention Act criminalized certain behaviors when an employer purposely withholds proper pay from workers. The law also requires employees who have had their wages stolen to receive restitution and their employer will face financial penalties. Together, these federal laws and others give workers a course of action to follow when they deal with wage theft issues. There are also various state and federal employment boards and commissions that investigate employers after a complaint about issues such as illegal wage withholding and discrimination.

The federal Department of Labor is also given authority by the FLSA and other laws to enforce its provisions against workplaces that violate various labor standards.

Lawsuits against employers

If a worker does not receive help from their employer with these kinds of issues, attorneys who practice in the field of labor law can bring a civil case against the company responsible. Like in many other civil lawsuits, the defendant can be responsible for paying damages to the victim. In the case of wage issues, the remedy is usually all of the worker’s missing back pay, plus interest on outstanding wages.

Attorneys who handle unpaid wage claims and related issues

Moore and Associates is a firm that handles employment law cases in the state of Texas. Anyone who is dealing with unpaid wages, wage theft, discrimination, or sexual harassment can get in touch with the firm to explore their options and learn about filing a lawsuit.

Firm contact info:

Moore & Associates

440 Louisiana Street, Suite 675, Houston, TX 77002

713-222-6775