More people to receive unpaid wages, thanks to Peters

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois workers now have the ability to see if they are owed unpaid wages through the I-CASH website, thanks to advocacy from State Senator Robert Peters and Treasurer Michael Frerichs.

"Let's be clear: Wage theft is theft. It's in fact the leading form of theft," said Peters (D-Chicago). "People deserve as much time as possible to recover their unpaid wages."

The Illinois Department of Labor recovers back wages when it finds an employer has underpaid workers in violation of state law. Unfortunately for workers, wage theft investigations can take significant amounts of time. Illinois workers can now search the I-CASH website to see if unpaid wages and penalties pursued and collected by the Illinois Department of Labor are waiting for them to claim.

This change is attributed to Peters, who spearheaded House Bill 3227 last year. The law ensures that money recovered and held beyond a three-year recovery period is deposited into the Wage Theft Enforcement Fund and the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund. Previously, unclaimed wages held by the Department of Labor beyond the recovery time were transferred to the state's General Revenue Fund.

"Hard-working people in Illinois deserve to be paid for their labor," said Frerichs. "We are thankful to team up with the Illinois Department of Labor, Senator Peters, and Representative Evans on a common-sense solution."

Workers can go to icash.illinoistreasurer.gov in the coming months to see if back wages are waiting for them to claim.