By Michael Kun
If employers with operations in California believed that they could not possibly face more wage claims than they already do, they can think again.
The California Department of Labor Standards Enforcement (“DLSE”) – the state agency that addresses wage claims – has launched a new website designed to notify employees of their rights and explain how to file claims:
http://www.wagetheftisacrime.com/What-We-Do.html#laborCommissioner
The website provides detailed information about the various types of claims individuals may bring, and how to bring them. As the website explains, all an employee needs to do is fill out a form and mail it to the DLSE.
And the website includes links to those forms — and instructional guides — in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Punjabi.
While only time will tell just how many more wage claims are filed as a result of this new website and the publicity surrounding it, one thing remains certain – state and federal agencies are more focused than ever on wage issues. And, as a result, employers must be, too.