San Mateo County officials unveil major initiative to fight wage theft as workers lose nearly $5,000 annually to violations, worst in California
San Mateo County, California – The new Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement (OLSE) in San Mateo County is a big step toward protecting workers and stopping wage theft. The Board of Supervisors overwhelmingly supports the proposal, which aims to give both workers and employers a local resource for learning and enforcing labor rules. It will also give the county better tools to look into and penalize people who break the law.
The office has two main goals: to help low-wage and vulnerable people who may be being taken advantage of and to help businesses that want to respect the law but may be bewildered by complicated labor laws. There is now a free, private, multilingual hotline where people can ask questions and submit reports. This makes sure that everyone can get aid, no matter what language they speak or what their legal situation is.
“Wage theft is a huge problem here in California, and particularly in our county,” said Carolina Babbidge, a Deputy County Attorney with the new Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement. “It disproportionately harms minority groups, especially in construction, hospitality, domestic work and agriculture.”
The OLSE is also starting a big awareness drive to let workers know about their rights, especially when it comes to minimum wage rules, which are different in each city. For instance, workers who live in unincorporated portions of the county must be paid at least $17.46 an hour, which is more than the statutory minimum of $16.50.
Supervisor Ray Mueller, who helped lead the creation of the office, emphasized the dual benefit of the initiative: “With the launch of the OLSE, every San Mateo County worker now has a place they can go to locally to receive help and seek justice, if they are being taken advantage of and wronged on a jobsite.”
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The law that set up the OLSE was passed in June and will went into force on July 10. It lets the agency hand out administrative citations and fines for things like not paying the minimum wage or punishing workers who speak up. The District Attorney’s Office already has the power to handle criminal matters. This gives it the jurisdiction to enforce civil law as well.
Supervisor Jackie Speier commended the effort, saying that similar enforcement offices in other parts of the state have helped prevent wage theft and make sure people follow the rules.
Shane Ross, the County’s labor standards manager, stated that education and assistance are the most important things, but the county will take legal action against companies who don’t obey the law.
Recent research from Rutgers University demonstrates how urgent the problem is: San Mateo County workers lose an estimated $4,300 to $4,900 each year due to wage violations—the worst in the state.
“My office’s role in the new OLSE, along with other partnerships, has provided new resources to uncover wage theft and labor trafficking across San Mateo County’s various industries — uncovering more than $200,000 in stolen wages. We have filed criminal charges, launched several investigations and built a strong network of community partners who ensure every victim’s story reaches our team,” San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.
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Workers and employers can contact OLSE at 1-866-870-7725 or by emailing [email protected]. All reports are confidential, and help is available in multiple languages.
