Politics & Government

Malloy: State Recovers $6.5M+ in Wages for Workers

Malloy: ""Working men and women should receive the wages they rightfully earned."

Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced on Friday that the Connecticut Dept. of Labor recovered more than $6.5 million in unpaid wages for workers in the state during the fiscal year that ended June 30th.


“Working men and women should receive the wages they rightfully earned,” Governor Malloy said in a release. “The $6.5 million collected by the Labor Department’s investigators reflects the importance we place on protecting our state’s workforce, as well as law-abiding employers.  Putting a stop to bad business practices, including the failure to pay fair wages, helps our workers as well as the entire state economy.”

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According to CT Labor Commissioner Sharon M. Palmer, the $6.5M returned to workers also included nearly $900,000 for employees who did not receive minimum wage or overtime, and another $1.9M owed to workers who were not paid the correct amount while working at public contract construction sites.  Additionally, approximately $35,000 was recovered for 34 service workers hired by private contractors who were not paid the correct wages. 

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The Connecticut Labor Department’s Wage and Workplace Standards Division also investigated 388 cases involving labor law violations, with inspectors citing employers in the following areas: personnel file violations, permitting night work of minors in manufacturing and mechanical businesses, the improper work hours of minors, hazardous employment of minors, and minors working in prohibited jobs, among other violations, according to the release.

The following wages were recovered in fiscal year 2012-2013 by the agency’s Wage and Workplace Standards Division:

Wage Enforcement $3,660,496.47 to 1,442 employees

Public Contract Compliance $1,959,866.81 to 544 employees

Wage and Hour $899,689.97 to 1,701 employees

Service Contract Compliance $34,654.58 for 34 employees

Total wages recovered - $6,544,707.83

In fiscal year 2012, the agency returned $5.5M to workers, while in 2011, the amount recovered amounted to $6M.

In addition, a total of 181 Stop Work Orders were issued to employers who did not comply with Worker’s Compensation requirements. Following on-site investigations, these companies were required to cease work on a construction project until certain required workplace regulations were met, according to the release.  In some cases, it was determined that employers misrepresented employees as independent contractors – a practice that causes an economic disadvantage to other companies.

The Dept. of Labor's website, www.ct.gov/dol  (see “Wage and Workplace Standards”) offers detailed information geared toward educating employers and worker about their rights and responsibilities in regard to state and federal wage laws.



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