Includes recent $1 M wage recovery for 20,000+ Chipotle restaurant workers
Governor Kathy Hochul on July 1, 2024, announced that in the two years since she announced a major crackdown on wage theft, the New York State Department of Labor has investigated and recovered more than $63 million in stolen wages for nearly 65,000 workers across New York State. As part of the announcement, the Governor also celebrated the investigation and recovery of over $1 million in unpaid wages for more than 20,000 Chipotle restaurant workers across 207 locations statewide. Individual recoveries for workers ranged from $10 to over $3,600, highlighting the State’s unwavering commitment to ensuring fair compensation and combating wage theft.
“Wage theft is stealing, plain and simple. It not only cheats workers out of a day’s pay – it violates our laws and my administration is committed to ensuring that workers receive every cent that they’re owed,” said Governor Hochul.
New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, “Ensuring that workers are paid every cent they are owed is a fundamental right and we are dedicated to holding employers accountable. We are committed to working with businesses to help them achieve compliance with labor standards.”
The significant $1 million wage recovery from Chipotle stems from a thorough investigation by NYSDOL’s Division of Labor Standards. After a tip from the Workers’ Compensation Board, NYSDOL investigated and found wage issues related to the correct minimum wage rate for fast-food workers, which is higher than the regular minimum wage. Investigators also found wage issues for spread-of-hours pay, which requires employers to pay additional time to workers whose shifts span more than ten hours in any one day. After these discoveries, NYSDOL asked Chipotle to review their pay records from December 2018 to September 2022.
New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento said, "Every worker deserves to be paid what they have rightfully earned, and cracking down on those stealing wages sends a strong message that wage theft will not be tolerated in New York State. I applaud the dedicated union staff at the Department of Labor for all their hard work and commend Governor Hochul for her unwavering commitment to protecting working New Yorkers and their families.”
