According to the Colorado Fiscal Institute, more than 500,0000 workers in the state — many of them in the construction industry — lose $750 million a year because of wage theft. The institute’s analysis shows that the most common methods employers use to short employees on their pay are:
- Nonpayment, which includes late payments and not paying employees what they’ve earned.
- Underpayment.
- Misclassification of employees as independent contractors in order to avoid having to pay benefits.
- Unauthorized payroll deductions for expenses like transportation, materials and tool
