PHILADELPHIA — Today, the Office of Worker Protections announced $327,976.56 recovered for Philadelphia workers in 2023, a record high for the Office and an 82% increase from 2022. The Office investigates alleged violations of the City’s labor laws, and this year, Philadelphia Employers were found to have violated Sick Leave Law, Fair Workweek Law, Wage Theft Law, and the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights Law.
“In the last two years alone, the Labor Policy and Compliance team have recovered nearly a million dollars for Philadelphia workers,” said Candace Chewning, Director of the Office of Worker Protections. “People deserve workplaces that provide paid sick leave, pay the wages they agree to, have a predictable schedule and so much more. These labor laws make Philadelphia a good place to work and the Office of Worker Protections in the Philadelphia Department of Labor strives to increase compliance across the city. Our work and our volume grows exponentially each year and these reports allow us to share our growth with the public and our dedicated partners. ”
“I got paid!” said Florencio, a Philadelphia restaurant worker who recovered $1,300 after filing a Wage Theft complaint with the Office of Worker Protections. “It’s important that the City has an Office that you can call for help, because workers need to get paid.”
The Office of Worker Protections received over 1,200 inquiries this year through the Worker Protection Hotline, a 28% increase from 2022. The Office took part in or hosted 55 events in over 20 zip codes across the city. Nearly 50% of investigations were closed in under 90 days and the Office closed 181 cases in the calendar year.
Two Philadelphia employers were added to the list of Bad Actors: Angel Companions of Philadelphia and Making Life Easier. Bad Actors are employers who are delinquent on resolving violations or are unresponsive. Employers are removed from this list upon compliance. One Employer was removed from the list in 2023.
The complete 2023 Labor Policy and Compliance Report for the Philadelphia Department of Labor can be viewed on the Department Website. The Department website includes regular updates regarding activity and resources such as wage and hour logbook availability for cash workers and Department regulations that outline enforcement including fines and penalties.
The Philadelphia Office of Worker Protections was created in 2020 as part of a city-wide vote to establish a permanent Department of Labor. Since 2020, the Office has now recovered $790,299.35 for Philadelphia’s workers . More information about the Office can be found at phila.gov/labor.
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