Under Philadelphia’s Wage Theft Law, employees may file official wage theft complaints with the City’s Wage Theft Coordinator, less than three years from the date the incident occurred. Wage theft is defined as a violation of the Pennsylvania Wage Payment and Collection Law or any State of Pennsylvania or Federal Law regulating compensation where the work is performed in Philadelphia or the employment contract underlying the violation is made in Philadelphia. Alleged wage theft violations of unpaid wages must be equal to or greater than the $100 and equal to or less than $10,000. The Wage Theft Coordinator will review each complaint, provide information regarding remedies and other assistance to complainants, and make a formal decision.
The poster describes:
- the right to file a complaint for unpaid wages,
- protection from retaliation for filing a complaint under the law, and
- the right to file a complaint or bring a civil action if the employer fails to pay all wages earned by the employee.
Posting Requirements
Employers in Philadelphia are required to give notice that employees are entitled to file complaints for unpaid wages under the Wage Theft Law. Employers may comply by providing the notice to each employee or by displaying it in a conspicuous place. The Wage Theft Law poster must be in English and in any other language spoken by at least 5% of the employer’s workforce. Violating the notice and posting requirements can result in a $100 fee for each offense.