San Diego County has stepped up its efforts to tackle the issue of wage theft, particularly among its low-wage and non-English speaking workers. Through a partnership between the District Attorney's office, County Counsel, and the Office of Labor Standards & Enforcement (OLSE), a new grant has been secured to aid in prosecuting and preventing this type of exploitation. The two-year grant, worth $750,000, will cover the cost of a prosecutor, investigator, and paralegal focusing on wage theft cases and aims to significantly reduce the estimated $2 million annual wage theft in the county.
The push to aggressively counter wage theft operates under the notion that such felonious actions are not merely financial but deeply undercut the dignity and stability of a worker's life. "Wage theft is oppressive and impacts the livelihood and dignity of hard-working people," District Attorney Summer Stephan stated, as reported by the San Diego County District Attorney's Office. This grant is expected to allow for an expansion of efforts, in collaboration with county partners, to protect workers better.
Historically, the Labor Commissioner's Office was the primary entity tasked with the administration of enforcement for wage theft cases. However, a legislative expansion through AB 594 in 2024 broadened the scope to empower public prosecutors. This includes the district attorney and county counsels, who can prosecute civil or criminal actions for Labor Code violations within their jurisdictions. DA Summer Stephan's leadership in harnessing these legal avenues has been commended by Labor Commissioner Lilia García-Brower, who voiced confidence that the new funds will greatly benefit San Diego County workers and deter bad employers from engaging in wage theft.
San Diego County has been on the vanguard against wage theft, establishing various efforts like the DA’s Workplace Justice Unit in 2021, specifically designed to protect vulnerable populations from criminal workplace violations. Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors, highlighted the importance of the new grant, stating, "We are holding companies accountable that steal money from their workers and fail to pay the wages they have been promised," as cited by the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.
A study from the San Diego State University Center for Community Research and Engagement has highlighted the prevalence of the wage theft issue. Key findings revealed that a staggering 87% of surveyed hourly employees experienced wage theft in the year prior, with many regularly falling victim. The additional insights into pay rate violations, sick day issues, and an overall lack of knowledge regarding wage theft underline the grant's necessity and the country's commitment to combatting this issue.
