News/Studies

D.C. Secures More Than $302K for Workers in Misclassification Crackdown

More than 100 construction workers in the District will receive restitution

Contractor cash payroll scheme nets guilty plea in $38M tax fraud case

A years-long off-the-books payroll scheme tied to the construction industry has resulted in a guilty plea from a Honduran national accused of helping contractors evade taxes and workers’ compensation obligations

Labor & Industry Fines Allegheny County Based Construction Company for Worker Misclassification of 192 Employees

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) announced today it has reached a settlement agreement with Romero Remodeling Company, a Pittsburgh-based construction business, to pay a fine of $144,000 for misclassifying 192 workers

Scoop: Which Denver businesses paid the most in wage restitution

Wage theft is surging in Denver, with workers recovering more unpaid wages this year than ever before, according to a new report from the city auditor's office.

Delaware General Contractors Face Expanded Liability Exposure for Worker Misclassification

Recent amendments to Delaware’s Workplace Fraud Act (WFA) broaden the scope of penalties general contractors in construction may incur in connection with worker misclassification

Notice of Proposed Rule: Employee or Independent Contractor Status Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, and Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, RIN 1235-AA46

On February 26, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to revise its analysis for distinguishing between employees and independent contractors under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

AG Racine Announces Construction Company Must Pay Ovber $1 Million to Resolve Workers’ Rights Lawsuit, Including to Impacted Workers

Attorney General Karl A. Racine today announced that Dynamic Contracting, Inc., a construction company that specializes in drywall installation, will pay $1,075,070 to workers

The Public Cost of Low-Wage Jobs in the Pennsylvania Construction Industry

Twenty-eight percent of construction worker families are enrolled in a safety net program

The Public Cost of Low-Wage Jobs in the New Jersey Construction Industry

Thirty-three percent of construction worker families are enrolled in a safety net program

Misclassification is leading to 39% of construction workers and their families relying on public assistance

Construction working families have higher enrollment than all working families in every program except TANF, where both groups have a low enrollment of 1%.

Help Taxpayers by Cleaning up the Construction Industry

Taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to pick up the slack for unscrupulous contractors. It’s time to clean up the construction industry, for workers and for all taxpayers.

USDOL Hiring 100 Investigators as Enforcement Efforts to Support Local Workers are Ramping Up

The USDOL announced that its Wage and Hour Division is seeking to add 100 investigators to its team to support its enforcement efforts

Labor Law Compliance on Virginia Public Works Contracts

Acts of Assembly, Submitted by Dr. Megan Healy, Virginia Secretary of Labor

Labor & Industry Helps Return $3.5 Million To Workers Wronged By Employers In 2021

In 2021, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) investigated more than 4,000 complaints of alleged labor law violations and returned more than $3.5 million in earned wages to Pennsylvania workers whose employers violated a labor law

Glenn O. Hawbaker Plea is Largest Wage Theft Settlement in US History

A major Pennsylvania heavy equipment contractor entered no contest pleas to four theft counts on Tuesday and agreed to pay restitution of more than $20 million over allegations it illegally diverted pension money and other benefits from its workers.

PA Joint Task Force on Misclassification of Employees Submits its Annual Report, including Recommendations

"Worker misclassification is an issue that demands reform because it harms every aspect of our economy"

NBC NEWS 4 I Team Wage Theft Investigation: Part 1

Authorities in the Washington, D.C., region have investigated more than 50 possible cases of wage theft since 2017

NBC NEWS 4 I Team Wage Theft Investigation: Part 2

Wage Theft Claims Rampant in the District of Columbia

PA Attorney General’s Crackdown on Wage Theft Sets a Good Example

Taxpayers put their trust in elected officials to ensure that responsible contractors pay local workers properly to complete the infrastructure work we all rely on

Local builders facing fraud, theft charges for misclassification of workers

Two co-owners of a local construction business have been arrested on numerous criminal charges including the alleged misclassification of workers

Ocean County Business Owner Charged in Alleged Workers’ Compensation Insurance Premium Fraud Scheme

Acting Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck and the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor announced that the owner of an Ocean County real estate improvement company has been charged.

Workers Rally for Justice in VCU Contracting Policies

A report from the EAS states that more than 20 workers were interviewed between 2017 and 2020 who said they received paychecks with no deductions during construction on VCU buildings.

Rock Spring Contracting Settles

OAG Resolves Wage Theft Enforcement Actions Against Rock Spring Contracting and J.D. Nursing and Management Services

Philly Voice: When Contractors Cheat We All Pay

Tax fraud hurts everyone. It’s estimated that $450 billion in tax revenue is lost every year due to tax fraud – and that’s a serious problem. However, if you think this problem doesn’t affect you, think again.

The Underground Economy and Wage Theft in Washington DC’s Commercial Construction Sector

The construction industry in the District of Columbia features an extensive underground sector in which workers are misclassified as independent contractors or paid in cash off the books, denying the public necessary tax revenues and denying workers

State College construction company charged with stealing workers’ wages in biggest case of its kind

Pennsylvania’s attorney general Thursday announced criminal charges against State College-based Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc.

AG Racine Announcement Capitol Drywall

OAG Alleged Construction Company Cheated 100+ District Workers out of Wages and Benefits by Misclassifying Them as Independent Contractors.

Contractor Pleads Guilty to Misclassification Charges

One of four people accused of misclassifying employees as “independent contractors” in order to avoid paying taxes pleaded guilty Wednesday to theft and related charges.

Harvard Law School: Confronting Misclassification and Fraud

A survey of State Labor Standards Enforcement Agencies

Philadelphia Inquirer - G&R Drywall

Delaware County DA is charging a contractor with misclassifying its workers

New General Assembly Building in Richmond, VA Creates Questions

Union officials and labor lawyers are taking legal action in federal court against contractors in efforts to enforce new state laws to prevent “wage theft".

UBC Study - Methodology for Wage and Tax Fraud

An Empirical Methodology to Estimate the Incidence and Costs of Payroll Fraud in the Construction Industry

Illegal Worker Misclassification: Payroll Fraud in the District’s Construction Industry

Illegal worker misclassification is a practice that seriously harms some of the District’s workers, law-abiding businesses, and the public.

EST William Sproule: Tax Cheats in Construction Industry Need Task-Force Scrutiny

Each year over Labor Day weekend, the American construction worker gets praised and recognized in countless speeches and commentaries as the “backbone” of our nation, as a major contributor to the economic vitality of so many of our communities.

Pittsburgh City Council Examines Construction Industry Fraud

Allegations of widespread fraud in the construction industry led Pittsburgh City Council on Thursday to vote 8-0 to create a new task force, but there wasn’t unanimity on the nature and degree of the problem.

The Underground Construction Economy in New Jersey

New Jersey construction companies that follow the law are forced to compete withcontractors who use off-the-books labor, misclassify employees as independentcontractors, and avoid paying taxes and social insurance costs.

Union Takes On Tax Fraud at Amazon Sites in VA

A union is charging that employers at six construction projects that will house Amazon employees or operations in Northern Virginia have evaded federal and state taxes by misclassifying workers, failing to carry workers’ compensation coverage.