Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act of 2022
Key claim: The bill would require employers to provide written employment terms and regular paystubs, mandate final wage payments within 14 days of termination, and establish strict civil and criminal penalties for wage theft and payroll record falsification.
Abstract
(HR7701 · 117th Congress) Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act of 2022 This bill requires employers to make initial and modified disclosures to employees of the terms of their employment, provide such employees with regular paystubs, and make a final payment to an employee for uncompensated work hours within 14 days of the employee’s termination. Employers must also allow employees access to wage records. An employer must compensate an employee at the rate specified in an employment contract, including a collective bargaining agreement, that specifies a rate of pay higher than the minimum wage rate. The bill makes all of such unpaid wages recoverable through civil enforcement. The bill establishes new and increased civil and criminal penalties for violations of overtime or minimum wage requirements, including referral to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution of employers who engage in wage theft, falsification of wage records, or retaliation against employees. The Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor must provide grants to specified organizations, including nonprofits and educational institutions, to support efforts to prevent and reduce violations of wage and hour laws. Latest action (2022-10-07): Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 388.
Why this matters
The proposal would give workers clearer documentation of promised and paid wages and a federal deadline for final wage payments, while increasing employers’ disclosure obligations and exposure to wage-theft penalties. The 2022 bill did not become law, so these provisions represent proposed protections and compliance duties rather than changes in force.