When it comes to working a minimum wage job, many Florida residents may be grateful to have a job but may still be unable to fully support themselves on the low wages. Even more unfortunately, some of those workers may be the victims of wage theft and have their wages reduced even further. If individuals find themselves in such a situation, filing wage claims may be in their best interests.
In many instances, workers fear coming forward with such information because they are afraid that they will lose their jobs as a result. If a worker is also an undocumented immigrant, fear of deportation may also be a factor in their staying quiet about the situation. It was noted that immigrants are among the most susceptible to wage theft because they are typically the least likely to report it.
Home health care, construction and restaurant industries are among the top businesses in which wage theft occurs most often. It was mentioned that all wage theft is not intentional, but even so, such issues should be remedied as quickly as possible. If they are not corrected, a worker may need to take action against an employer in order to ensure that the proper wages are being received.
Employees may wish to avoid filing wage claims, but in some cases, it may be the only option that will lead to the situation being properly addressed. No one should lose wages that they have rightfully earned, and therefore, determining the best route to guarantee that workers are being compensated correctly may be a helpful step. Florida workers who have been the victim of wage theft could find information on wage-and-hour obligations beneficial.
Source: fairwarning.org, "Pay Violations Rampant in Low-Wage Industries Despite Enforcement Efforts", Myron Levin, May 13, 2014