Our Work

Wage Theft / Misclassification

What is it?

Wage theft is the denial of workers’ right to their earned wages and benefits, protected by federal, state, and local labor and employment laws. This includes underpayment, unpaid overtime work, often arising from misclassifying employees as exempt salaried professionals or independent contractors, and unlawful deductions.

What can Towards Justice do to help?

Towards Justice counsels workers facing these challenges.

Get Help

Our Litigation or Advocacy including Wage Theft / Misclassification

FORMER PENNSYLVANIA CIVIL DETAINEES COMBAT FORCED LABOR: Burrell v. Lackawanna Recycling Center, Inc. et al.

Discrimination Wage Theft / Misclassification

Complaint charges that civilly detained child support debtors are forced to work in dangerous recycling...

December 4, 2019

Fighting Forced Labor in Private Immigrant Detention Centers: Menocal et al v. GEO Group Inc.

Discrimination Wage Theft / Misclassification

Towards Justice fights to end labor trafficking whether in the form of individualized cruelty or...

May 8, 2019

Protecting Workers with Disabilities from Exploitation: Dugan et. al v. Adelante Development Center, Inc.

Discrimination Wage Theft / Misclassification

Towards Justice filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of hundreds of New Mexico workers...

May 8, 2019

Redefining Work for Caretakers: Bagoue v. Developmental Pathways

Discrimination Wage Theft / Misclassification

Towards Justice represents a proposed class of caretakers employed at group homes for people with...

May 1, 2019

Recovering Wages for All Hours Worked: Avendano et. al v. Averus Inc. and Michael Shank

Discrimination Wage Theft / Misclassification

Towards Justice represented a group of workers dedicated to cleaning commercial kitchen exhaust hoods who...

May 1, 2019

Fighting Systemic Wage Theft and Discrimination: Solis v. The Circle Group

Discrimination Wage Theft / Misclassification

Workers at SkyHouse Denver filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of thousands of construction...

May 1, 2019

Combating Fraud and Misclassification: Mark v. O.P.E.N. America, Inc. d/b/a OPENWORKS

Discrimination Wage Theft / Misclassification

Towards Justice represents Ruth Mark and a proposed class of cleaning workers employed by OpenWorks....

May 1, 2019

Fighting Injustice in Guest-Worker Programs: Douglas et. al v. Yellowstone Club Operations, LLC; and Hospitality Staffing Solutions LLC:

Discrimination Wage Theft / Misclassification

Several of Towards Justice’s cases focus on systemic injustices in nonimmigrant guestworker programs where visas...

April 30, 2019

Empowering Workers to Recover Earned Wages: Miles v. Ella Bliss Beauty Bar

Discrimination Wage Theft / Misclassification

Representing manicurist Lisa Miles, Towards Justice and co-counsel filed a class action lawsuit in Federal...

April 30, 2019

Empowering Temp. Staffing Agency Workers to Recover Stolen Wages: Valverde v. Xclusive Staffing, Inc. et al

Discrimination Wage Theft / Misclassification

Towards Justice represents a proposed class of temporary workers employed by one of Colorado’s largest...

April 30, 2019

Combatting Wage Suppression in the Sheep Ranching Industry: Llacua et al. v. Western Range Association et al

Discrimination Wage Theft / Misclassification

Towards Justice attacks impediments to competitive labor markets that should allow workers, including the most...

April 30, 2019

Clarifying Workplace Relationships in the Gig Economy: Shockley v. GoBrands, Inc.

Discrimination Wage Theft / Misclassification

Towards Justice represents Austin Shockley and a proposed class of delivery drivers working across the...

April 30, 2019

Combating Systemic Minimum Wage Violations for Nevada Shepherds: Cántaro et. al v. Western Range Association et. al

Discrimination Wage Theft / Misclassification

Towards Justice represents a proposed class of shepherds alleging systematic violation of the Nevada minimum...

April 30, 2019

Wage Theft / Misclassification

What is it?

What can Towards Justice do to help?

Our Litigation or Advocacy including Wage Theft / Misclassification

FORMER PENNSYLVANIA CIVIL DETAINEES COMBAT FORCED LABOR: Burrell v. Lackawanna Recycling Center, Inc. et al.

Fighting Forced Labor in Private Immigrant Detention Centers: Menocal et al v. GEO Group Inc.

Protecting Workers with Disabilities from Exploitation: Dugan et. al v. Adelante Development Center, Inc.

Redefining Work for Caretakers: Bagoue v. Developmental Pathways

Recovering Wages for All Hours Worked: Avendano et. al v. Averus Inc. and Michael Shank

Fighting Systemic Wage Theft and Discrimination: Solis v. The Circle Group

Combating Fraud and Misclassification: Mark v. O.P.E.N. America, Inc. d/b/a OPENWORKS

Fighting Injustice in Guest-Worker Programs: Douglas et. al v. Yellowstone Club Operations, LLC; and Hospitality Staffing Solutions LLC:

Empowering Workers to Recover Earned Wages: Miles v. Ella Bliss Beauty Bar

Empowering Temp. Staffing Agency Workers to Recover Stolen Wages: Valverde v. Xclusive Staffing, Inc. et al

Combatting Wage Suppression in the Sheep Ranching Industry: Llacua et al. v. Western Range Association et al

Clarifying Workplace Relationships in the Gig Economy: Shockley v. GoBrands, Inc.

Combating Systemic Minimum Wage Violations for Nevada Shepherds: Cántaro et. al v. Western Range Association et. al

Recent News on Wage Theft / Misclassification

Press Release: Former Blush & Blu workers file lawsuit over rampant wage theft and race-based worker mistreatment

Article: TIME – In a Warning Shot to Other States, Federal Judge Rules Immigrant Detainees in Washington Must Be Paid More Than $1 a Day

Wage Theft: A Panel Discussion to Raise Awareness & Work Towards Prevention

Explore Our Areas of Focus

Abuses of Corporate Power

Abusive Debt Collection

COVID-19

Discrimination

Exploitation of Immigrants and Guestworkers

Forced Labor and Trafficking

Gig Economy

Investigations

Meatpacking

Multilevel Marketing

Non-Compete, No-Hire, and No-Poach Agreements

Policy Advocacy