State, feds to crack down on illegal labor practices

California Attorney General Kamala Harris and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division have signed an agreement to combat illegal labor practices such as wage theft, which can include violations of minimum wage and overtime laws.

The agreement will set up a partnership between the Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Labor and increase both agencies’ ability to investigate and prosecute cases of labor violations by exchanging resources.

The agreement will also help both agencies fight employee misclassification, used to deny workers protections such as overtime pay and unemployment insurance.

The industries that are most affected by wage theft include restaurants, retail, janitorial work, the clothing industry, construction and car washes.

“Wage theft is a crime that hurts our economy and robs hard-working Californians of their livelihoods,” Harris said in a statement Tuesday announcing the partnership. “This agreement allows our agencies to better investigate and prosecute those who exploit workers and deny them the pay and benefits they deserve.”

This story was originally published July 28, 2015 at 4:28 PM with the headline "State, feds to crack down on illegal labor practices."