What is "wage theft"?

Wage theft refers to the unlawful failure of an employer to pay an employee the wages they are legally entitled to receive. This can occur in various forms, including not paying the minimum wage, not providing overtime pay, or failing to compensate for all hours worked. This concept highlights the importance of ensuring that employees receive fair and full compensation for their labor as mandated by laws and regulations.

Understanding wage theft is crucial for both employees and employers, as it delves into the key principles of worker rights and employer responsibilities. Employers are expected to uphold wage standards set by employment legislation, and any deviation from these can lead to significant consequences, including legal action.

The options of overpayment, illegal deductions, and payments of bonuses without prior agreement do not accurately define wage theft, as they either describe situations that do not involve failing to pay owed wages or pertain to scenarios that might require other forms of legal or contractual compliance rather than outright theft of wages. Thus, the correct identification of wage theft in this context strongly revolves around the failure to pay employees their due earnings while adhering to employment laws.