State Rep. Welch Pushes for Wage Equality, Holds Employers Accountable
SPRINGFIELD, IL – With an obscene amount of complaints against employers for wage discrimination and withholding against women and minority groups occurring every day in Illinois, state Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, has introduced a bill that will hold those wrongful employers accountable for their actions.
“We see a completely unacceptable amount of employers who are underpaying people for the hard work that they do each and every day,” said Welch. “This law would hold employers who steal wages from their employees directly accountable and close loopholes that kept these terrible acts in practice.”
Welch is the sponsor of House Bill 4324, a measure that creates the Wage Lien Act. Under the act, an employer who owes wages to an employee and has not paid will have a lien placed against their property for the amount of wages owed to that employee.
“The bottom line is that employers in this state who refuse to operate fairly and do business by the rules need to face real repercussions for their wrongdoing,” said Welch. “This bill will ensure that employees receive every penny that they earn.”
House Bill 4324 is currently in the House Labor & Commerce Committee and is expected to be heard for consideration in the near future.
Welch represents the 7th District, which includes portions of River Forest, Forest Park, Maywood, Broadview, Bellwood, Berkeley, Hillside and Westchester. For more information, please contact Rep. Welch’s office at 708-450-1000.
