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U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
Protecting
Ohioans’ Paychecks
American workers know they’re working more than ever before, for less
pay. They don’t think they can get by — much less get ahead — even if
they work hard.
And too often, they’re right that the deck is stacked against them.
Across our country and our state, too many workers are putting in long
hours for an honest day’s pay, only to have their employers cheat them
out of the paycheck they’ve earned.
While most employers treat their workers fairly, there are still far
too many who force employees to work off the clock, refuse to pay them
minimum wage, steal their tips, or deny them overtime pay. Another
trick employers pull to avoid paying fair wages and benefits is
misclassifying workers — for example, a food service contracting
company might call a “cook” a “dishwasher,” to avoid paying the higher
cook’s salary.
And we know that workers in low-wage industries like food service,
childcare, and retail service are at the greatest risk.
The National Employment Law Project surveyed low-wage workers in three
cities across the country, and found that 26 percent of workers
surveyed were paid less than minimum wage the previous week, and 76
percent of those who had worked more than 40 hours were not paid the
legally-required overtime. And when workers file a complaint, they
often face harsh retaliation from employers. Most workers who are being
taken advantage of don’t speak up, for fear of having their hours cut
or being fired.
These Americans are working long hours at demanding jobs to support
their families. We should be encouraging work and making sure that work
pays off — not letting employers get away with cheating Ohioans out of
the paycheck they’ve earned.
That’s why, along with Senator Murray, I’m introducing the Wage Theft
Prevention and Recovery Act, to crack down on this wage theft.
The bill would create new civil penalties for employers who engage in
wage theft, and give workers the right to receive full back pay for the
wages that were stolen. Right now, even when employers are caught
stealing wages, employees are only able to recover lost pay at the
minimum wage rate, even if their hourly rate is higher than that.
That’s not right. When a worker is stolen from, they should be repaid
in full.
To help make sure that happens, the bill also increases the number of
years workers have to bring a wage theft claim in court. And it would
require employers to provide regular paystubs, so workers can keep
track of the pay they’ve earned, and more easily catch potential theft.
This is a commonsense plan to protect workers, boost economic security,
and ensure that work pays off for all Americans — not just the
wealthiest few.
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