Many Florida employees work in jobs where they often feel under-appreciated, and sometimes underpaid, for the work that they do. One of the most prominent industries where employees may feel this way is the fast food industry. Unfortunately, there have even been reports of withholding wages that can be detrimental to the livelihood of individuals living paycheck to paycheck.
According to a recent report, a survey was conducted which indicated that approximately 90 percent of fast food workers had experienced wage theft. Many of the cases included workers not receiving pay for overtime work or work done off the clock. The survey was conducted for about a month, and those who responded worked in several different parts of the country, including Miami.
Many of the fast-food chains declined to comment on the results of the survey or claimed that the number of respondents was too few to represent the majority of fast food workers or to be considered substantial evidence. However, the results do show that a considerable number claim to have faced wage theft, even if it may not necessarily be the majority of workers. Any unpaid wages should be addressed.
Withholding wages can create a significant problem for individuals who work hard and rely on their hourly wages. If more hours are worked, employees should be properly compensated for those hours. If Florida fast food workers feel that they have been the victims of wage theft, they may wish to explore their legal options for potentially pursuing compensation or back pay for unpaid work hours.
Source: Los Angeles Times, "Nearly 90% of fast-food workers allege wage theft, survey finds", Tiffany Hsu, April 1, 2014