That’s literally not the definition.
https://wagetheftisacrime.com/
Don’t dilute the definition of the crime with nonsense.
Boss asks everyone to come in unpaid for a mandatory meeting? That’s wage theft.
They lock you in the store when you’re off the clock to “clean up the store”? That’s wage theft.
Stolen tips, no overtime pay for overtime work, altering timecard punches? All wage theft.
Making too much profit and not passing it to employees may be highly unethical, but it’s not legally wage theft.
Making too much profit and not passing it to employees may be highly unethical, but it’s not legally wage theft.
That’s capitalism.
Thank you. I came to say something similar. Wage theft is already a big legal problem that doesn’t get enough attention or action to fix it. Don’t intentionally mix it with a separate ethical issue making the legal issue even less likely to be addressed. They are similar, even related, issues. But they are not the same, nor will they be addressed the same. Don’t conflate them.
Thank you for this. I used to hear the term “wage theft” and associate it with underpaying workers relative to the value they produce, until I learned that wage theft refers to underpaying workers relative to what they’re contractually entitled to.
Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that it’s a problem to pay workers far less than the value they give, but “you’re not paying me what I’m worth” is not as egregious a problem as “you’re not paying me what you agreed to pay me.”
In most cases, underpayment can’t be fixed by an individual for themselves without a wide scale strike (which many workers aren’t in a good position to risk,) but wage theft is currently illegal and can be addressed by filing a complaint. So it’s better to keep it clear what wage theft is so that the average worker doesn’t dismiss it as some communist idea, at least until wage theft is no longer the greatest form of theft in the US.
Yep. Big bird’s description is the increase of exploitation on the workers. Wage theft is denying wages you are due. Very similar in how they effect you and how they feel, definitionally different.
And “lemon” has a very specific definition when applied to used cars so that dealerships can sell junkers with engines that blow up after 6 months and get away with it. Doesn’t make it right, and doesn’t make the car any less of a lemon.
I agree that it is wrong. However, in your example you were sold a bad car either way. Wage theft is stealing/keeping wages you are legally owed, while not sharing the profits, while again still wrong, nothing was stolen from you. You just weren’t given more.
“you weren’t given more” is too weak. What happens is you are not given a fair share of the value of your work
it is stealing, even if it is in accordance with a contract. those contracts are signed between unequal parties, effectively under duress
Lemon actually has a set legal definition as well. A car isn’t a lemon because you don’t like it, or even if it breaks down immediately after you buy it.
It even varies BY STATE.
https://www.kbb.com/car-advice/vehicle-lemon-laws-by-state/
So here:
“To qualify for protection, the defect must be reported to the manufacturer and given a reasonable number of attempts to perform the repair. If the vehicle is out of service for 30 calendar days or more, you may pursue a replacement or refund.”
But across the river:
“If your car experiences a serious defect or a problem that makes it unreliable or unsafe within 2 years or 24,000 miles of delivery, you may send a written request asking for a replacement vehicle.”
I remember my first encounter with wage theft. Fortunately, I was drilled with the whole DONT WORK FOR FREE philosophy.
Boss asked me to go grab some things from the supermarket before my shift. I said am I on the clock? He said, “It’s on the way. What’s the problem?”
I pretended like I forgot and played stupid. And he sent me back out AFTER I clocked in.
Youre so right, exploration through waged labour isn’t even illegal!
youre like that douche who scolded me for telling someone retail workers minimum wages are .30c higher than they actually are. Oh youre technically right, thank god we’re building a bridge and that .30c really makes a difference.
I think it’s worth keeping ‘wage theft’ to that particular definition, to help with tackling what is a big problem and legally recognised (as illegal). And, as someone else said, so workers don’t dismiss it as a far-off ideal and miss the chance to fight for their illegally-stolen wages.
Wage theft in the sense of theft of fair share of generated value/profit, needs a new name.
How about profit theft? Value theft?
After all, calling it wages already accepts the idea of owners and employees.
It’s not diluting the definition, it’s expanding the definition.
“Legally” just means words written on paper, words that can be changed with legislation.
Don’t get this twisted, the law isn’t some unchanging monolith just because modern governance has been at a standstill when it comes to legislation. There’s “legal” ways to expand the definition until what Big Bird is saying is the legal definition.
I would argue expanding the definition is important, because people need to see spending millions on stock buybacks while cutting wages and cutting jobs to all help boost the stock as the theft of value that it is.
Further, language evolves and if there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s people who refuse to accept that the definition of words can grow and change. So spare me the pearl clutching over the “proper, legal definition.” This is solarpunk memes, not boringdystopia memes.
Things have meaning. In the process of expanding the meaning, the meaning is made less pointed. If it has less of a point, it becomes broad (or diluted). So to make the original point, one must find new words, since the original definition has been so watered down and broadened.
The actual currently defined wage theft is already illegal. The law simply needs to be properly enforced.
While I agree with the substance of this post, that underpaying labor to funnel wealth to owners is wrong, that is currently not illegal. (Pro tip: it’s capitalism.)
Each of these two problems requires a vastly different solution. Conflating the two only makes it more difficult to solve either.
The definition of words can change, but you’ve made me notice: there’s something more insidious and dishonest potentially going on here.
“Name is definition” is not just making a linguistic association, which, as you say, can change across time and community.
It’s also saying, “when you heard name before, what the speaker meant was definition.” Which, in this case, can be a lie. That’s abuse of teaching authority.
Now that’s not the whole of it, and you have a point. Just you made me notice this aspect now.
Chiming in with those who want to keep the specific meaning of wage theft, to better address that already-egregious problem, how about a new name for this.
Value theft. Or, Profit theft.
That’s not wage theft, that’s capitalism.
Edit: Now that I’m on break I can give an example that I experienced. My boss was trimming hours off of my checks at my first job. Like I’d work 40, he’d pay me for 35. I’d constantly have to get on his as to get a check for those hours. Eventually the place got shut down for other reasons.
Profit isn’t illegal, so it’s not technically theft in any legal sense. But if a single individual (the owner) takes the fruit of an organizations labor and doesn’t distribute the entirety of that fruit to the workers (including themselves) and continual operation of the business, they are essentially stealing what is due to the business and workers. If the owner skimming off the top weren’t there, the workers would distribute the fruits equally, and ensure some is set aside for business costs.
That is not what wage theft is. Wage theft is when you don’t get paid what you’re legally supposed to receive. Examples would be clocking you out before done working so you get less hours, not tracking overtime properly, etc.
it is not even “no increase”. wage increase not proportional to profits is wage theft and wage increase not higher than inflation is horrible management.
Expecting wage increases proportional to profits is only reasonable if you also accept cuts proportional to losses.
oh this definitely already happens either in the form of pay cuts or lay offs. And anything below inflation rate should be considered a cut really so you get cuts even when there may be profit. So getting a cut only when there is a loss can even be considered a win from this perspective lol.
Love the message. But I can only think of the unspeakable horrors big bird is about to commit on those children
I don’t love the message, because that’s not what wage theft is. Wage theft is literally not paying people their due salary.
Several of the company’s employees told the Herald-Leader in January that ARC regularly paid workers late. In Perry County, several employees reported going weeks without a paycheck.
If you want a list of examples of wage theft this is it. Not paying Min Wage. Not paying due overtime. Classifying workers incorrectly to evade labor laws. Not paying your interns. Not paying into your staffer’s SS/Medicare.
It has nothing to do with increasing wages to match profits. This is when you are defrauding your staff of their contractually due salary.
Yeah, doing this simply devalues the term ‘wage theft’. It’s like calling catcalling ‘rape’, except that catcalling might actually be illegal.
Honestly it’s your problem if you think rape is less of an issue because of something that very obviously does not happen all that often.
Yeah you’re right but you’ve missed the mark because it’s not about the literal definition in this context its about the unfair nature of profits not being distributed fairly. That is the people in charge of valuing the work are unfairly valuing their own limited contribution above the people actually doing the thing. By looking at it in this way it can be seen as a form of theft and as the theft is happening in the form of their wages being lower than they should I don’t think calling it wage theft is that big of an exaggeration from its dictionary definition.
Also you’re stupid for being pedantic when big bird is right there about to make you wish for the comfort of being smug about definitions on an internet meme
The thing is that it muddies the waters.
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Wage theft is criminal. Basically everyone agrees it’s immoral and illegal.
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Statistically it’s the biggest form of theft in the US
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If you become aware of it you should report it, perhaps get a lawyer, and expect a payout.
If you expand the definition to include undervaluing staff, none of the above are true.
