Santa Clara County Considers New Wage and Hour Law Reports Wage and Hour Lawyer Eric Grover

A new ordinance is being considered to crack down on wage theft, says wage and hour lawyer Eric Grover, of the San Francisco law firm Keller Grover.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, USA, March 12, 2014 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The fight against employers who commit wage theft is sweeping the country, as another county in California is considering a new wage and hour law that would give workers additional recourse against dishonest employers, reports San Francisco wage and hour lawyer Eric Grover of Keller Grover LLP.

The proposed wage and hour ordinance would disqualify businesses from receiving public contracts if they were found to be guilty of wage theft, either by paying less than minimum wage or by cheating workers out of overtime pay. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors considered the motion to draft the ordinance on Tuesday, February 25, 2014, and referred a request to the County Counsel to determine the feasibility of enacting the wage theft ordinance, according to the minutes of the meeting. Nine individuals spoke in support of the Board referral.

The motion cited a 2008 study conducted by the National Law Project that reported that two-thirds of 4,387 low-wage workers polled in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago were denied full compensation. In addition, it showed that five percent of those workers were paid below minimum wage for a week’s worth of work and 76 percent of those who worked more than 40 hours a week did not receive the required overtime compensation.

Supervisor Dave Cortese, who brought the ordinance before the Board, stated, “Those being criminally disadvantaged from their rightful pay included health care workers, child care workers, garment workers, hotel maids, cashiers, security guards, retail employees, janitors, car wash workers and many more.”

“Wage theft is not a victimless crime,” Cortese continues. “The financial loss to the individuals whose wages were stolen and their families was significant, according to the study. In Los Angeles alone, low-wage workers were deprived of nearly $1.4 billion each year.”

Santa Clara County would join San Francisco as the second county in the state of California enacting such a policy since last year. Miami and Houston also implemented similar ordinances during that time.

“With the state’s proximity to Mexico, there is a large population of low wage workers who emigrated to the U.S. for a chance of a better life, these workers are most often targeted by these type of unscrupulous employers in California, attorney Grover explains. “They are often preyed upon because of their lack of knowledge of wage and hour laws, which is why you should always consult an attorney if you think you’re being taken advantage of.

The San Francisco law firm of Keller Grover has been helping employees since 2005. To learn more about whether you are the victim of wage and hour law violations contact Keller Grover at 888.601.6939 and ask to speak with a California wage and hour attorney.

http://www.cawagehourlaw.com/

Lyn Giguere
Keller Grover LLP
972.437.8952
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