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. 2014 Jun;104(6):1010-20.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301813. Epub 2014 Apr 17.

Wage theft as a neglected public health problem: an overview and case study from San Francisco's Chinatown District

Meredith Minkler  1 , Alicia L Salvatore, Charlotte Chang, Megan Gaydos, Shaw San Liu, Pam Tau Lee, Alex Tom, Rajiv Bhatia, Niklas Krause
Affiliations

Wage theft as a neglected public health problem: an overview and case study from San Francisco's Chinatown District

Meredith Minkler et al. Am J Public Health. 2014 Jun.

Abstract

Wage theft, or nonpayment of wages to which workers are legally entitled, is a major contributor to low income, which in turn has adverse health effects. We describe a participatory research study of wage theft among immigrant Chinatown restaurant workers. We conducted surveys of 433 workers, and developed and used a health department observational tool in 106 restaurants. Close to 60% of workers reported 1 or more forms of wage theft (e.g., receiving less than minimum wage [50%], no overtime pay [> 65%], and pay deductions when sick [42%]). Almost two thirds of restaurants lacked required minimum wage law signage. We discuss the dissemination and use of findings to help secure and enforce a wage theft ordinance, along with implications for practice.

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