wage theft

USAGE SUMMARY

"wage theft" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when discussing situations where employees are not paid the full amount they are owed for their work. Example: "The company was accused of wage theft after failing to pay overtime to its workers." Alternative expressions include "unpaid wages" and "salary theft."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Wage theft alone runs close to $1 billion a year.

The New York Times

It could fight the crimes of wage theft and harassment.

The New York Times

The report indicates that delivery workers are among the most vulnerable to wage theft.

The New York Times

Half of all day laborers are believed to have suffered wage theft.

The New York Times

Low wages are compounded by wage theft and correspondingly high poverty levels.

The New York Times - Magazine

Indeed, stories of employers stealing tips, and lawsuits alleging wage theft, are legion.

The Guardian - Opinion

Still, to this day, many models experience wage theft from unscrupulous agencies.

The Guardian - Opinion

That filing described the settlement as "collusive and disastrous" and "tantamount to a $1bn wage theft".

The Guardian - Tech

investigation suggests that the problem of wage theft is only getting worse because of weaker enforcement".

The New York Times

Second, SEIU is compiling data about wage theft in the fast-food sector.

The Guardian - Opinion

Mr. Robins would begin with law and order, which is to say wage theft and worker safety.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "wage theft" when you want to highlight the criminal or unethical nature of an employer withholding pay. It carries more rhetorical weight than just saying 'unpaid salaries'.

Common error

Do not use "wage theft" to describe generally low pay or a 'living wage' gap. The term specifically refers to the illegal withholding of money already earned by a worker, such as unpaid overtime or stolen tips.

Linguistic Context

In the examples provided by Ludwig, "wage theft" functions primarily as a compound noun phrase. It often serves as the direct object of verbs like 'fight', 'combat' or 'experience'. Ludwig AI indicates that it is used to categorize a specific class of labor crime.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Formal & Business

15%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Social Media

3%

Encyclopedias

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "wage theft" is a robust and widely accepted term used to describe the illegal withholding of employee earnings. Data from Ludwig shows it is particularly prevalent in News & Media contexts, where it serves to highlight social and economic injustice. Whether referring to unpaid overtime, misclassification of workers or stolen tips, the term provides a clear moral and legal framework for discussing labor violations. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and appropriate for professional writing when discussing employer accountability.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unpaid wages

A more neutral and descriptive term often used in legal filings

salary theft

Focuses on salaried employees rather than hourly workers

non-payment of wages

Strictly literal and descriptive of the physical act of withholding

wage fraud

Emphasizes the deceptive nature of the withholding

stolen pay

A more informal and visceral way to express the same concept

underpayment of wages

Refers specifically to paying less than the legal or agreed minimum

payroll fraud

Suggests a more administrative or systematic manipulation of pay records

labor exploitation

Broadens the scope to include general mistreatment and poor working conditions

tip skimming

A specific subset of theft focused on the service industry and gratuities

labor law violations

The broader legal category that encompasses pay-related crimes

FAQs

How to use wage theft in a sentence?

You can use it as a direct object or a subject, for example: "The labor department is investigating several restaurants for "wage theft" after complaints from staff."

What can I say instead of wage theft?

Depending on the context, you can use terms like "unpaid wages", "wage fraud" or "labor exploitation".

Is wage theft a formal term?

Yes, while it uses the word 'theft', it is a standard term in journalism and labor advocacy. In strictly legal documents, you might see "violation of wage laws".

What is the difference between wage theft and a wage gap?

The phrase "wage theft" refers to stealing earned money, while "wage gap" refers to the statistical difference in pay between different groups of people.