Attorney General Ellison issues inaugural ‘Working for Workers’ report

Report highlights ways Office helps workers fight wage theft; to be issued annually around Labor Day.

September 6, 2024 (SAINT PAUL) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison today released his Office’s inaugural “Working for Workers” report, to be issued annually around the Labor Day holiday. The first edition of this annual report highlights the work of the Wage Theft Division in the Attorney General’s Office, which Attorney General Ellison established in 2019.

"It is hard to afford your life and live with dignity if your boss is stealing money right out of your paycheck," said Attorney General Ellison. "Combating wage theft has become an increasingly important part of the modern struggle for a fair workplace. That’s why six months after taking office, I started a Wage Theft Division within the Office dedicated to investigating violations of Minnesota's wage theft laws and holding bad actors accountable. I am proud to release this inaugural ‘Working for Workers’ report, which highlights the excellent work this division does on behalf of Minnesotans. As long as I remain your Attorney General, this Office will always work for working people.”

The report describes numerous examples of the Wage Theft Division’s work enforcing Minnesota law on behalf of workers, including litigation against Evergreen Dairy and settlements with 3M, Dolan Printing, PMC, Spectrum Plastics, and Valvoline. The report also highlights more than two dozen instances of outreach to Minnesota workers, worker organizations, and labor unions that the Office has conducted in the last year.

In addition to the work of the Wage Theft Division, the work of the Attorney General’s Advisory Task Force on Worker Misclassification is also ongoing. The new state law to fight worker misclassification fraud that was enacted this year was a recommendation of the Task Force.

Attorney General Ellison’s office maintains a complaint form, also available in Spanish, where workers can report instances of wage theft. Examples of wage theft include but are not limited to paying less than the minimum wage, requiring or allowing work off the clock without pay, not paying time-and-a-half for overtime, not paying earned tips, unlawful paycheck deductions, not paying a final check upon separation of employment, and misclassifying employees as independent contractors.

More information about what wage theft is, the forms it can take, how Minnesotans are protected from wage theft under the law, and how to report it is available on the Wage Theft page of Attorney General Ellison’s website.