LOS ANGELES - (INT) - Attorney General Kamala D. Harris and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division have signed a cooperative agreement to crack down on employer wage theft and other illegal labor practices.

The Memorandum of Understanding signed by both agencies will facilitate the sharing of information and enhance enforcement of labor violations.

The agreement will establish a collaborative partnership between the Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Department of Labor to coordinate enforcement efforts. Specifically, the agreement will enhance both agencies’ ability to investigate and prosecute cases of wage theft and other labor violations through the exchange of investigative information and resources.

The collaborative agreement will work to combat illegal labor practices such as wage theft, which includes violations of minimum wage and overtime laws. In addition, the agreement will help both agencies combat employee misclassification, which denies workers important protections such as overtime pay and unemployment insurance.

Industries most impacted by wage theft include restaurants, janitorial work, the garment industry, retail, construction and car washes.

Story Date: July 30, 2015