CalMatters reporting helps to inspire wage theft legislation

After a A series of 2022 Calmatters Documenting long waiting and low payments for workers who claim that their employers have cut them for salaries, California’s legislators have already offered bills to try to relieve the lag.

A measure, Senate Bill 310 from San Francisco Democratic Seni. WienerIt would allow workers to recover more money through private lawsuits instead of filing claims through a highly delayed system at the Labor Commission office.

Calmatters reported this Between 2017 and 2021, it was necessary for the position of the position of 505 days to decide on the requests for theft of the salaries of the workers – far longer than 135 days required by the state legislation. This waiting time has since grown to more than 850 days, Found state audit published last yearS

“We were truly struck by some of the reporting of how long they had been waiting and how much workers had broken to receive compensation,” said Wiener spokesman Eric Mebust of the CalMatters series. “When the defenders came to us, referring to your reporting, it was a very compelling terrain.”

Workers who claim that salary theft can file private suits; Join the colleagues to judge the business on behalf of the state; Or file an individual claim to the service of the Labor Commissioner, which decides the claims in administrative hearing.

The last two options are insufficient, Mebust said: While the group’s court cases lead to faster resolutions than administrative claims, which usually lead to lower payments. The bill will allow workers who file individual private cases to request not only their lost salaries but also civil penalties.

The proposal is likely to receive discounts from business groups. The California Chamber of Commerce wrote in a blog publication 2023 that the state should process wage claims more quickly, but should not. “shift more application“To private lawyers. A group spokesman did not respond to a request for a comment on the bill.

Another bill, from FreMont’s democratic senses. Aisha WahabIt aims to encourage employers to pay more quickly after the workers have won their claims. Sb 261 Will require the service of the Labor Commissioner to publicly publish all his decisions against employers who have not yet paid claims. This will also allow the office to look for more fines against employers who do not pay within six months.

Calmatters found in the 2022 series that even after workers have earned their claims, only about one in seven court decisions are paid.