When you work, you expect to be paid for it. Except, for millions of Americans employed across a range of industries like restaurants and construction, that’s not always the case. Anthropologist Rebecca Galemba explores the multibillion-dollar problem of wage theft and how employers get away with it, highlighting the changes needed for them to pay up — and fairly.
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Joel- Long Beach, Ca.
January 19, 2022 at 5:27 pm
Thank you for speaking on behalf of the marginalized!
marwan qannam
January 19, 2022 at 5:55 pm
Self motivated , punctuality , fast decision making , flexibility , cooporitive , these are the perfect features of you to getting on a good opportunity is matching with your qualifications
My Journal
January 19, 2022 at 5:58 pm
Um…I would have to highly disagree with how day labourers are handled in my state.
Quinton Smith
January 19, 2022 at 6:00 pm
Stop complaining about everything!!! People should take care of their own problems
mari h
January 19, 2022 at 7:03 pm
Glad to hear you are doing well. Many are not in your position to do so.
Quinton Smith
January 19, 2022 at 8:38 pm
@mari h everyone in America has the same opportunity to succeed. some take it some don’t . I came from nothing! I worked hard to get what I have!
Bill Norris
January 19, 2022 at 6:02 pm
This was excruciating to watch, and egregiously overstated by Rebecca.. To single out a few vanishingly small numbers of cases where day laborers have been denied mutually agreeable wages and then extrapolate to create a straw man type problem, is intellectually dishonest in my humble opinion.. I have a great deal of personal experience in this matter and can assure Rebecca that no large-scale problem of the sort she describes, exists.. Period.
GetThePitchforks !!!
January 19, 2022 at 6:08 pm
Ok.
The Back Channel
January 19, 2022 at 6:04 pm
Wage theft is also when the boss tells HR to give you an increase of $X and somehow this good news never reaches you, and the HR person gives your increase to themselves.
It happened to me.
suicune2001
January 19, 2022 at 6:13 pm
Something like this happened to one of my friends. They were hired and worked MAYBE a whole month before the company up and left the state and broke all contact with him. But since they never officially fired or laid him off, he couldn’t get any kind of unemployment. Thankfully, I think he got paid but he said that company routinely hires fresh new and inexperienced people as independent contractors, work them for a week, then fire them without ever paying them for the work.
Home Wall
January 19, 2022 at 6:25 pm
Hope their bad reputation spreads and government enforces the contracts they engaged in. Criminal behavior is rarely a concern for government that makes everything related to simple justice too expensive and slow to be useful.
suicune2001
January 19, 2022 at 6:56 pm
@Home Wall Same. I don’t know how they have ANY workers at all like that. Even if you’re getting paid, you would also be worrying about what the company might do to YOU next. He got off easy since he at least got paid but I think it was a near thing. I think the manager or whoever liked him enough to pay him. If I were those people, i’d be online crapping all over that company and trying my best to make sure everyone knows that company is shady AF.
Nerdlin Geeksly
January 19, 2022 at 11:34 pm
How has the company not been investigated by the BBB and the owner arrested, if you know the name of the company you should report them.
And if you or your buddy knows the full names of some of the top guys then include that in the report as it will make it easier to track them down.
suicune2001
January 19, 2022 at 11:50 pm
@Nerdlin Geeksly He doesn’t seem to want to tell me the name of the company. I told him he should report them but he’s a very non-confrontational type of dude who doesn’t want to get them in trouble. Even though they are doing highly illegal things and basically abandoned him with a mess THEY made.
Alex Meyjes
January 19, 2022 at 6:19 pm
As someone who grew up in a Nation ( the Netherlands) supporting strong unions, in order to protect those with the least individual power , I cry for the terrible road backwards the Western World, especially the USA , has taken since the 1980’s AND the 1990’s . We seem to honor competition so much, that those less capable are simply ignored and swept aside in the name of progress . WE should be ashamed of ourselves
Alex MC
January 20, 2022 at 12:22 am
I experienced this in Canada myself
John Wishart
January 19, 2022 at 6:20 pm
i think the USA promises lots and gives very little the system should be a national government law and to stop paying skilled people that have learnt there skills in other countries i costs a lot to train a doctor nurse or other job and surely the government where the skilled person comes from would not have bothered training someone to work elsewhere
A J
January 19, 2022 at 6:23 pm
This is all really took off during the tech boom- when people willingly gave up their time.
Home Wall
January 19, 2022 at 6:23 pm
Sure, such bad “employers” exist, but there are also many workers who don’t work every hour, too, so I guess that’s wage theft since they take the money and don’t do the work.
Iama freespirit
January 19, 2022 at 6:43 pm
Sounds to me like what the trump’s have been doing for years!!!
Silent Bob
January 19, 2022 at 7:24 pm
It appears that accountability is a problem. The system does nothing to correct it. But if the employee has exhausted their options and turns to violence he or she is the bad guy. I believe the term is disgruntled. Great system.
Silent Bob
January 19, 2022 at 7:27 pm
More evidence that the law isn’t there for the common individuals, but there to protect the government, the wealthy and companies.
A Jo
January 19, 2022 at 7:40 pm
Wage theft is also when artists are not paid for their work and are told that they will be payed with exposure.
Spankyboy Botbot
January 19, 2022 at 7:58 pm
Anyone who takes a guy on for work and does not pay at the end of the day should have their balls cut off.
Dutch Bohemian
January 19, 2022 at 8:12 pm
Just don’t work. Then employers can’t exploit you.
Robert Grant
January 19, 2022 at 8:21 pm
This video is good about bringing up an issue… but uhhh okay, is it really that important? It seems pretty out of place. Are people just not vouching for themselves or know their worth or not checking things are working?
I am also amazed that TED gets no views, likes to comments despite having 20M subs. How is that possible?
Mo
January 19, 2022 at 8:24 pm
😔
064 Freeman, Oranj Productions
January 19, 2022 at 9:04 pm
Trump was a serial wage thief.
KP
January 19, 2022 at 10:00 pm
This talk seems specifically regarding undocumented people, but this happens to citizens, as well. I’ve been stolen from in some way in every job I’ve ever held. Not being paid for down time, not being paid for overtime, not being paid for computer boot-up time, not being paid bonuses. I think if an employer is caught threatening to turn someone into ICE just for asking for their pay, the law should immediately grant that person citizenship and rescind the corrupt employer’s U.S. citizenship.
james kirk
January 19, 2022 at 10:50 pm
Their ILLEGAL! Too Bad!
Randy Houston
January 20, 2022 at 12:01 am
I didn’t realize how bad it was until she said it deprived the government of tax money …..
Scott Trosien
January 20, 2022 at 12:59 am
Make better choices. Don’t like your wage, start your own business and pay yourself billionz.!
Tom Collen
January 20, 2022 at 1:45 am
Whew! Thanks for clearing my conscience for having gotten away with “putting in” 40 hours per week while actually working no more than 25 hrs per week, and doing this for 5 years as a salaried manager before retiring with a nice going away party.
Δ.Μ
January 20, 2022 at 9:02 am
lol, you can’t be serious
GabakTech - Cursos de Computación y Tecnología
January 20, 2022 at 1:54 am
she is a resentful employee, nobody obligate anybody to work it is a common agreement between the worker and employers
Δ.Μ
January 20, 2022 at 9:01 am
tbf most of us employees are resentful. Unfortunately there very few employers who have integrity and respect their team
Kongolox
January 20, 2022 at 1:58 am
How employers steal from workers in the US.
fixed it.
TheFuckingsignups
January 20, 2022 at 2:15 am
they need to move the teleprompter or camera to her left
R.Singh Sandhu
January 20, 2022 at 2:54 am
Wait for few more years before we are all replaced with robots.
S4
January 20, 2022 at 2:56 am
Im going to try wage theft on my workers too. I never realized ho easy it was, thanks for the tip! Easy money! 🙂
Gogetassj4666
January 20, 2022 at 6:14 am
Good looking Milfy, love the hair
Anders Fagerström
January 20, 2022 at 7:11 am
Could the problem relate to having an open border? Not Promoting law and order? Feeling sorry for people instead of keeping a system protecting them?
Anders Fagerström
January 20, 2022 at 9:21 am
@Δ.Μ I think most people consider stealing is not OK. But could the problem increase with having massive amounts of people coming in relying on day labor? Defunding the police? Any Idea, except whining about it?
Δ.Μ
January 20, 2022 at 9:29 am
@Anders Fagerström
What’s wrong with people wanting to work in day labor?
Anders Fagerström
January 20, 2022 at 9:56 am
@Δ.Μ I believe nobody wants to work in day labor. It’s a primitive system that keeps the poor poor and exploits people. But I might be wrong.
Δ.Μ
January 20, 2022 at 10:08 am
@Anders Fagerström
Nobody? Why not? Some people may not want to spend years and years in education and get a white collar job and instead want to work ASAP. Others may not be smart enough for more intellectual jobs..
I could go on and on and on…
But the truth of the matter is that although day labor may seem unpleasant and can be done indeed an expolitative field it includes necessary work for the function of society builders, plumbers, electricians, farmers etc.
The problem doesn’t lie with the job itself nor with the people that work in it. The problem lies with the lack of pro worker legislation or the lack of enforcement of said legislation. One other problem is the decline in power of labor unions.
Anders Fagerström
January 20, 2022 at 10:24 am
@Δ.Μ Maybe. I like labor unions run by laborers. Unfortunately they often end up just protecting the people running them. The transparency and democracy process must be strong. I fully agree that the legislation and enforcement part must be in place. The problem is not the bad people. It’s the good people looking the other way not wanting to see the problem. Too many in comfy mode.
Δ.Μ
January 23, 2022 at 10:13 am
@Anders Fagerström
I mean that’s the point of labor unions, right? To protect it’s members. They amplify the negotiating power of workers.
Other than that, transparency, and law enforcement etc
Ben Wilson
January 20, 2022 at 7:51 am
Bounced cheque fee? Why is the person banking the cheque paying that in USA??
None of your Damn Business
January 20, 2022 at 7:59 am
*That happens also in Spain .*
kulturfreund66
January 21, 2022 at 9:03 am
or Italy, or Portugal, or Germany… – In Berlin the media reported that a number of diplomats and embassy employees from Arab countries held female household laborers like slaves. No payment, not allowed to go outside, sexual abuse etc. – I’m not quite sure but I think that German law didn’t apply due to their immunity status or so.
Δ.Μ
January 20, 2022 at 9:08 am
That’s why we need unions!! 👏👏
🆃🅺𝓐 〘Pra𝖕a𝖙anKa𝖑i𝖘ar⃝i〙
January 20, 2022 at 9:20 am
🌎TED | Thanks for your role and # women do hold 🌍high positions√.
🌎TED | Tell me.. what the 🌍truth√.
🌎TED | 🌍Nelson Mandela√
Yes, TED | # Nelson Mandela
“Our freedom is also incomplete, dear compatriots, as long as we are denied our security by criminals
who prey on our communities, who rob our businesses and undermine our economy,
who ply their destructive trade in drugs in our schools,
and who do violence against our women and children.”
BY. # 🌍 NELSON MANDELA.
Thank you.
And May God’s peace 🌏🌍🌎 be upon you all!
Good health always Everyone!!
# I thank you.
🌏
…
🇬█ 𝔎𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑚 𝔎alisari│
January 20, 2022 at 9:22 am
Why?
🇬█ 𝔎𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑚 𝔎alisari│
January 20, 2022 at 9:23 am
TED | why?
” we are talked a lot about, but we are not listened to ” -why?
Thank you.
Maybe You're Right😀
January 20, 2022 at 9:28 am
😀
👍
TED | yes👍👍
and maybe you’re right 👍.
Yes 👍👍
😀
👍
# Cop 26
SAVE OUR PLANET 🌏🌍🌎!
👍
” we are talked a lot about, but we are not listened to ” -why?
Thank you.
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January 20, 2022 at 9:52 am
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January 20, 2022 at 10:37 am
Everything (everything, literaly) WE do on this planet is nothing more than a cheap theatre for stupid children, the only thing that is giving us the opposite illusion is technology, but take that away and we are more savage than all the primitive people from remote places.
Samiksha Shinde
January 20, 2022 at 11:29 am
What about unpaid internships?
Ismael Fortunado
January 20, 2022 at 1:50 pm
kindly prove my solution wrong…I also solved fermat…
BigMo
January 20, 2022 at 3:02 pm
Day labors… AKA illegal immigrants. Not being in America legally, they don’t have the same protections. This is an example of the injustices people are exposed to when you have open boarders.
FletchforFreedom
January 20, 2022 at 4:11 pm
Largely debunked nonsense from unquestionably the most repeatedly debunked propaganda shop in existence – the Economic (sic) Policy institute. Wage theft is actually rare and is often found to be inadvertent (such as a contractor who pays the same rate he always does without realizing he’s crossed an unmarked city line where the minimum is higher. Such circumstances are in fact so unusual that, when they do occur, it’s big news (i.e., the lawsuit against Walmart that found a tiny handful of managers – against company policy – required workers to do things before clocking in or after clocking out). The reason it is so rare is that the labor market is so demonstrably competitive that it is actually impossible for employers to underpay workers lest competitors hire away their best workers and the initial employer lose money due to higher turnover costs. This is why you don’t go to a fringe anthropologist to understand economic issues and why you don’t go to an endlessly refuted union propaganda shop – the EPI or NELP or PERI or ERLE – when trying to find reliable unbiased data. If you fall for the nonsense of anyone using the phrase “race to the bottom” you are asking to be bamboozled in any case.
Mario Rumrich
January 20, 2022 at 4:12 pm
the problem is a leak of information. if an employer works like that and everybody knew it, the problem would solve itself in no time. so. Thank you Rebecca Galemba for bringing this up.
Quetzal Bird
January 20, 2022 at 4:58 pm
Those who take advantage of illegal immigrants are the lowest type human there is. These type of human would own slaves if yet socially acceptable, subhuman.
Musa Khan
January 21, 2022 at 5:25 am
Construction labours in Middle east face a lot of wage theft.
kulturfreund66
January 21, 2022 at 7:55 am
Thanks for your clear words and your work. – It’s scandalous and saddening what’s happening in the world.
Similar things happen here in Germany and other places in Europe.
Since the fall of the socialist block in 1990 and the German reunification everything had been done by the government, no matter which parties in charge, to pamper those who were wealthy already even more.
One of many examples here is that corporations like Amazon , Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft etc. have a tax rate of just 0.005 % , which is equal to merely 50 bucks in taxes out of every million in profits, whereas a baker or a nurse or a carer, construction worker etc. gets to pay around 30% in taxes of their measly wages, despite of rising rents to cope with, raised VAT, raised fines and fees, rising prices due to inflation etc.
85 % of the state revenue and government budget in Germany come from the working and middle class and small businesses. Corporations and other big companies only contribute around only 6%.
Donna Haynes
January 21, 2022 at 8:12 am
part of the problem is that only illegal workers are ever held “accountable”. Employers who hire illegal immigrants are NOT charged when they clearly are in violation of the law. Charge the shady employers and some of this will disappear.
Thomas Bjerke
January 21, 2022 at 4:56 pm
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Olivia O
January 21, 2022 at 10:22 pm
My family did this to day laborers in the ’90s, and I’m embarrassed by what they did. That’s how they made money. I inherited dirty money, I would give it back, but I need it because makeup is expensive, $800 a month alone.
Boyo 13
January 21, 2022 at 11:17 pm
Lol what
Olivia O
January 21, 2022 at 11:22 pm
@Boyo 13 You heard it or read that, right? It’s like a never-ending guilt trip this Ted Talk.
Alexander Redhorse
January 23, 2022 at 2:03 am
Marx exposed this nearly 200 years ago and you guys are JUST NOW figuring this out! seriously..
seema johney
January 23, 2022 at 7:08 am
Not only in the us its all over the world today
Miguel Suarez-Solis
January 25, 2022 at 9:13 pm
Sounds like day laborers should mob up and start breaking legs