Photo Courtesy of Don Pollard/Office of the Governor
“Unscrupulous employers and contractors who choose to do business in New York are on notice that we will not stand for theft, fraud or unsafe work conditions in our City and State,” DA Katz said.
By Forum Staff
Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced major actions to combat wage theft and protect the paychecks of hardworking New Yorkers. The Governor announced that the Wage Theft Task Force, a coordinated effort between the New York State Department of Labor, the New York State Attorney General, and District Attorneys, has recently secured felony convictions and agreements from more than a dozen businesses and 265 individuals to pay nearly $3 million in wage restitution and contributions owed to New York State since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The governor also announced new efforts to double down on the success of the Task Force, launching a new hotline and developing a state-of-the-art online wage theft reporting system to create more opportunities for workers to report wage theft and receive what they are owed while protecting their privacy and safety.
Starting Tuesday, July 19, New Yorkers can report wage theft directly to the New York State Department of Labor by calling the new hotline at 833-910-4378, which has interpretation services available. The online reporting system will give New Yorkers the ability to report wage theft online in a variety of languages while improving the Department’s ability to track complaints and identify trends.
“As we work to help New Yorkers recover from the economic hardship of the pandemic, we must ensure we are protecting workers and guarantee they receive the pay they are owed,” Hochul said. “The Wage Theft Task Force has already secured major victories for workers, and I thank the Attorney General and District Attorneys for their partnership with the Department of Labor to crack down on bad actors and deliver justice to workers. I am proud that we are doubling down on our efforts in order to help more workers and make it clear that in New York, wage theft will never be tolerated.”
The Wage Theft Task Force initially leveraged criminal laws to achieve justice for construction workers in cases involving wage theft, fraud, and safety hazards. The Task Force has recently expanded its scope into other industries and counties in New York State. The Wage Theft Task Force includes NYSDOL, the New York State Attorney General’s Office, the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF), the Offices of District Attorneys across the State, and the New York City Department of Investigation. The Task Force works closely with labor unions and community-based organizations as part of efforts to support workers and recover owed wages.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said, “Unscrupulous employers and contractors who choose to do business in New York are on notice that we will not stand for theft, fraud or unsafe work conditions in our City and State. Not only is wage theft a pervasive problem, but it also disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable members of our community and negatively impacts our economy. That is why I created the Housing & Worker Protection Bureau upon taking office, to make sure that employees (and homeowners) are protected from illegal actions. I thank Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James, and all the public officials for their hard work in safeguarding New York’s workforce.”
