New York targets wage theft, announces hotlines

The state has announced the launch of a new hotline for wage theft victims as part of ongoing efforts to combat cheating employers, which have already recovered nearly $3 million in unpaid wages since the pandemic began.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said that starting Tuesday, Long Islanders and other state residents who believe their employer may be illegally withholding wages can report wage theft to the state Department of Labor’s new hotline by calling 833-910-4378. Language interpretation services are available for those who need it, according to the release.

“As we work to help New Yorkers recover from the economic hardship of the pandemic, we must ensure we are protecting workers and guarantee they receive the pay they are owed,” Hochul said in a statement. “I am proud that we are doubling down on our efforts in order to help more workers and make it clear that in New York, wage theft will never be tolerated,” Hochul said.

Since the start of the pandemic, the state said it has recovered nearly $3 million in unpaid wages from over a dozen businesses and 265 individuals through its Wage Theft Task Force — a combined effort between the Labor Department, New York State Attorney General's Office and district attorneys.

Recent felony convictions on Long Island include:

• Goldstar Installation Services of Selden pleaded guilty to second-degree scheme to defraud for failing to pay the legal prevailing wage rate to employees. The defendants paid $40,000 in restitution with an additional $40,000 to be paid over a one-year period. Officials with Goldstar did not respond to requests for comment. 
• Tri-State Construction of NY Corp., which has offices in Queens and Manhattan, pleaded guilty to willfully failing to pay prevailing wages. The defendants agreed to pay more than $121,530 to employees for failing to pay their supplemental benefits and overtime wages on a capital improvement project for the Huntington Union Free School District. A manager who answered the phone declined to comment.
• Tri-County Home Nursing Services, which has offices in Westbury and Coram, pleaded guilty to failure to pay wages under the New York labor law and was ordered to repay $61,000 in wages to nine workers. Officials with Tri-County could not be reached for comment. 
• APJ Restoration Inc. of St. James pleaded guilty to fraudulent practices against the New York State Insurance Fund — a violation of workers' compensation law — and second-degree falsifying business records. The defendants will pay over $32,575 to NYSIF. Officials with APJ did not respond to requests for comment. 

The Labor Department is also working on a $10 million online reporting tool — the Worker Protection Management System — in which state residents will be able to file wage theft claims and receive “real time” updates regarding the status of those claims.

The online reporting system, still in development, is scheduled to be completed next year. The state said the system will help the agency analyze violation trends.

New hotline for sexual harassment

In addition to the wage theft initiative, Hochul also announced the launch of a workplace sexual harassment hotline Tuesday.

The new confidential hotline will connect workers with experienced pro-bono lawyers who can advise them, the state said. The hotline — 1-800-HARASS-3 (1-800-427-2773) — will be operated by the New York State Division of Human Rights.

"Every worker deserves access to resources to protect themselves from sexual harassment," Hochul said in a statement.