More than 16K Pennsylvania workers have unclaimed back wages. How to check if you’re one

Lindsay Smith
·2 min read

More than 16,000 workers in Pennsylvania are owed back wages held by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, as of early January.

Those wages total more than $16 million in unclaimed pay eligible to be collected, a spokesperson with the department told Centre Daily Times in an email.

Back wages remain unclaimed for a number of reasons, including a worker’s change of job, change of address or an employer’s lack of keeping contact information, making the worker hard to locate once the wages are available.

But an online search tool can make it easier for Pennsylvanians to see if they’re owed money. Here’s how you can use it to check if you have unclaimed wages.

What are back wages?

Back wages are ordered of employers and can be claimed under the Wages and Fair Labor Standards Act, which covers multiple employee rights, including minimum wage, overtime, record keeping and more.

There are multiple ways one can go about collecting back wages, including:

  • The Wage and Hour Division supervises payment to owed workers.

  • The secretary of labor brings a suit for back wages.

  • The employee files private suit for back pay.

  • The secretary of labor obtains an injunction to restrain anyone after violating the FLSA.

The collection of back wages is not uncommon. Last May, a court ordered a Philadelphia home care agency to pay more than $7 million in back pay and damages to current and former workers after the employer failed to follow overtime pay regulations.

In August 2022, a court ordered a diner in Lansdowne to pay more than $1.35 million in back pay and damages to more than 100 workers over an illegal tip pool.

This month, a former Qdoba employee at the location near State College filed a suit under the FLSA alleging the business did not properly pay employees overtime wages. The company declined to comment, and the litigation has not been resolved.

How can I see if I’m owed back wages?

As of January, 16,266 Pennsylvania workers are owed a combined total of $16,489,906.33 in unclaimed back wages, the federal DOL says.

Workers can use an online tool, called Workers Owed Wages (WOW), to see if they’re eligible for payment. The tool is available in English and Spanish.

To use it, first, search for your employer, enter your name, fill out your contact information and upload a signed form with your Social Security card, taxpayer identification card, driver’s license, W-2 and pay stub. If you’re owed back wages, you will be sent to the Wage and Hour Division office for your check.

Unclaimed funds are held by the DOL for three years before they are turned over to the U.S. Department of Treasury.