Workers deserve to be paid for the work that they do. This is a simple concept and seems like common sense, but folks would be surprised to learn that there are frequent cases in which employees are not paid correctly. We refer to this as “wage theft” and Coloradans lose roughly $728 million in stolen wages, annually.
Denver City Council unanimously voted in favor of providing Denver Labor new tools to ensure that employees are paid properly. Denver City Council should be lauded for doing the work to collaboratively pass this legislation.
These new rules will require thoughtful implementation and a clear focus on equity since the majority of stolen wages target people of color, immigrants, refugees, people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations. I’m running for auditor to bring this kind of forward-looking vision to the Denver Auditor’s Office. Denver’s workers deserve leadership.
Erik Clarke is a manager at a large accounting firm focused on financial advisory and strategy. He’s a candidate for Denver City Auditor in the upcoming municipal election.
