Wage theft is an illegal practice where an employer withholds money rightfully owed to an employee or retaliates against an employee who files a complaint.
Examples of wage theft
- Failure to pay overtime
- Failure to pay the minimum wage required by the state
- Failure to pay all hours
- Failure to post wage theft poster
- Forcing employees to work off the clock
- Forcing employees to give any portion of their tips to the employer
- Wrongful pay deductions, including deducting the cost of damaged equipment, missing cash from a register, or lost customers from an employee’s paycheck
How to file a complaint
The Department of Labor‘s Office of Worker Protections enforces this law for people who are paid by cash, 1099, W-2, electronic transfers, and all other forms of payment. Anyone working within Philadelphia city limits who has experienced wage theft may file a wage theft complaint against a current employer or a former employer if:
- Your complaint is filed within three years of the wage theft.
- The total amount of wages lost is more than $100.
Online
If you have questions or need a translator to help you complete the form, call (215) 686-0802.
By mail or in person
You can also print and fill out the wage theft complaint form. You can mail it or deliver it in person to:
Office of Worker Protections
1 S. Broad Street, 3rd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Please submit all information you have regarding hours worked and compensation along with the complaint form.