Wage theft bill draws criticism from business community

A proposal to increase the fines for Maine employers who cheat workers out of their pay drew sharp criticism from the business community this week.

Rep. Jared Golden, the Lewiston Democrat pushing the measure, said that shortchanging workers of the pay they earn robs them of both “the respect they deserve” and the cash that they need.

He said, “Employers that game the system” to avoid mandatory overtime payments or fail to hand over paychecks for all of the hours employees work should be subject to fines large enough to sway their behavior.

Peter Gore, vice president of government relations for the Maine Chamber of Commerce, said employers see Golden’s bill as "a slap in the face” because it doesn’t distinguish between deliberate cheating and honest accounting mistakes or other errors.

Read more: http://www.sunjournal.com/news/maine/0001/11/30/wage-theft-bill-draws-criticism-business-community/2111564