Employees across California join in lawsuit as more workers demand fair cmpensation and complain about wage theft by employers.

More workers are claiming that their employers have not been following minimum wage and overtime laws, withhold employees tips and wrongfully erase their recorded work hours.

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These practices, which labor advocates are calling "wage theft," have become prevalent not just in California, but across the nation as well.

Guadalupe Rangel, a Shcneider warehouse employee, is among those who have joined in a lawsuit against his employer.

The Mexican immigrant told the New York Times that he worked seven days a week, putting in up to 11 hours of work per day, but according to him, he was never given an overtime pay.

Reports said that his company, Schneider, is willing to pay a settlement, worth about US$21 million, and if it goes through, Rangel stands to receive about US$20, 000 in back pay.

Lawsuits have been filed all over the country as several federal and state officials agree that due to the large number of enforcement actions being pursued, it can be deduced that more companies are violating labor and wage laws.

However, business groups refuted that government officials who are backing the employees are only trying to be on the good side of union members.

Employers have always complied with the wage laws, according to the business groups, adding that ever since the Walmart lawsuit 10 years ago, companies have been in strict compliance with labor laws.

Meanwhile, in California, FedEx was charged with wage theft by a federal appeals court last week when it was found out that the company treats its drivers as individual contractors rather than employees.

FedEx drivers were reportedly asked to work 10-hour days, but were not paid overtime, which is only given to regular employees.

In Fremont, state labor commissioner Julie Su, ordered a back pay to 41 employees, amounting to US$332, 675 from a janitorial company when it was found that the workers were made to sign a blank time sheet.

Federal Labor Department director David Weil told the New York Times that wage theft is now prevalent because of the changes in business structure.

The change, "compounded by a decrease in what is viewed as acceptable in the workplace in terms of how you treat people and how you regard the law," Weil said.

Tagscalifornia, wage theft, employees, Lawsuit