Wage theft is real. Know how to spot it.
You work hard for your paycheck, and you deserve every cent that you’re owed.
Unfortunately, sometimes bad bosses and predatory employers purposely keep wages from workers. It’s not just wrong, it’s illegal, and there are steps to take to get your money.
Nationwide, more money is stolen each year by employers than in burglaries, robberies, and car thefts combined. Knowing how to spot wage theft can give you more power to protect your paycheck, and to try to get it back if it’s being kept from you.
What is wage theft?
Wage theft is when your employer doesn’t pay you the full amount of money that you’ve worked hard for. That includes bonuses you were promised, commission, overtime, and tips. It’s illegal to be paid less than Connecticut’s minimum wage of $16.35 an hour.
You have the right to earn the minimum wage even if you work for tips. If your pay after tips is less than the minimum wage, your employer is required to pay you the difference.
If your boss charges you for a uniform or equipment, that’s wage theft. It’s also theft if you’re trained without getting paid for that time, have to work through your lunch break without pay, or are told to stay [without pay] after you’ve already clocked out.
Sometimes, a business owes you money and may have tried to pay you, but the check never reached you or your bank account. That money is referred to as “unclaimed property,” and the government holds onto it until you submit a claim. You can find out if you have unclaimed property, and get it back, by searching for your name on CT Biglist.
Wage theft is costing Connecticut workers millions
It’s hard to estimate how much money workers in Connecticut have lost because of stolen wages. Some employees don’t know what’s happening is illegal, and most people don’t report it.
An Economic Policy Institute study found that 17% of the national “low-wage” workforce make less than the legal minimum wage. As of Jan. 1, 2025, Connecticut’s minimum wage is $16.35 an hour – or about $34,000 a year if you work 40 hours a week for 52 weeks of the year. The national minimum wage is much lower, at $7.25 an hour. That doesn’t matter. In Connecticut, an employer is legally required to pay you the state’s minimum wage.
That same study found that nationwide, 25% of low-wage workers have made less than minimum wage, and more than 66% experienced at least one type of wage theft. On average, people who made under minimum wage were making $1.88 an hour less than they should – losing about $64 a week and $3,300 a year. That adds up to $15 billion a year that employers steal from workers.
In the last several years in Connecticut, more than 13,000 complaints have been filed with the state about wage theft. That’s led to workers getting back $17 million that they’re owed. However, the true amount of money stolen is likely much more than that.
Recognizing wage theft helps you get your money
There are multiple ways that a bad boss may try to keep your full paycheck from you.
Examples include:
Your employer is stealing from you if they keep any of your pay. If your employer has kept your money, you have two years to file a complaint with the Connecticut Department of Labor Wage and Workplace Standards Division to start the process to get it back. You can file a complaint online.
Wage theft hurts everyone
Predatory employers are more likely to keep money from people who work in agriculture, hospitality, and retail, along with administrative support workers. Women of color are also more likely to be paid less than minimum wage than white employees and men.
Every dollar counts, especially if you’re making minimum wage. Families suffer, and so does our economy. When bad bosses steal workers’ money, the government gets less tax revenue to fund services, and people who are victims of wage theft have to rely more on government help to get by.
There are serious penalties for employers who take your money. In Connecticut, it’s a felony to keep money from employees. Employers who don’t pay you what you’re owed can face thousands of dollars in fines and time in prison.
If you’re not getting your full paycheck, ask your employer for it. If they still won’t give it to you, file a complaint with the state online. You can also talk to an employment lawyer.
You’ve worked hard for your paycheck. If your money is being withheld from you, you’re not alone. We know that unfortunately, knowing how to spot wage theft isn’t always enough to stop it from happening – and that’s especially true for workers who are the most vulnerable because of immigration status, education level, records of arrest or conviction, or just plain lack of other employment opportunities in the area. But knowing your rights is one step to empowering yourself and your neighbors to get what you are owed.