Government
BY HALEY MCLEOD
Recent increases in reported wage theft cases have prompted Travis County leaders and worker rights advocates to push for new initiatives to protect workers. Local leaders introduced provisions in recent years to protect workers, including Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza, who launched the county’s Economic Justice Enforcement Initiative in September 2021. Between 2013 and 2020 there had been only four prosecuted cases across Texas, but since launching the initiative, Garza said his office has taken on nearly two dozen local cases over the last four years. Austin officials also passed a wage theft prevention ordinance in December 2022. TravCo addresses wage theft issues
What you should know
Wage theft claims
In 2024, reported wage theft cases in Central Texas led to $21 million in wages due back to workers.
Wage theft can take many forms. While most people associate it with not getting paid, it also includes misclassification. Rick Levy, president of workers’ rights union Texas AFL-CIO, said the issue is common in a multitude of industries and often goes unenforced. “People need to understand just how widespread the issue is,” Levy said. Anyone that suspects an instance of improper pay can submit a wage claim to the Texas Workforce Commission for free. Requirements and additional information on Texas Payday Law can be found on the agency’s website. Members of the public, regardless of their immigrant status, can also report incidents of wage theft to the Travis County District Attorney’s office.
Travis County
Williamson County
Hays County
1,000 800 600 400 200 0
Most claims by industry, FY 2023-24
Food services: 3,827 Health care: 2,376 Construction: 1,966 Retail: 1,217 Agriculture: 659
SOURCE: TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR’S WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION/COMMUNITY IMPACT
11
NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION
Powered by FlippingBook