Work Life Unbalance

Supporting workers that deserve better.

The Problem

Poverty

About 38.1 million people (11.8% of the population) live below the poverty line. These numbers can be misleading because our poverty line doesn't capture nearly as many people as it should.

If we look at those within 200% of the poverty line it's close to 100 million people.

Wage Theft

Wage theft accounts for roughly 50 billion dollars worth of theft each year. All other kinds of theft accounted for 14 billion in 2012. Wage theft ends up accounting for more that all other kinds of theft combined.

Forced arbitration has been helping employers prevent workers from fighting back against wage theft. In 2019 it stopped workers from recovering about 9.2 billion in stolen wages.

Working people experiencing poverty

There are 12 million people that are working full time jobs and still in poverty. Many of those are children and seniors, the most vulnerable groups in our society.

Types of Wage Theft

Overtime: Not paying overtime when they should.
Employee Misclassification: Labeling workers as Independent Contractors to avoid giving proper benefits.
Minimum Wage Violations: Not paying the appropriate minimum wage.
Working off the Clock: Having people do work before and after the have clocked in / out.
Illegal Deductions from Pay: Employers take unauthorized or illegal deductions from employee pay.
Not Being Paid at all: Not being paid for hours that were worked.

The Solution

Start more worker directed companies!

Worker-directed companies, also known as worker cooperatives, are businesses that are owned and controlled by the workers themselves. In these companies, the workers make decisions collectively and share in the profits. This structure helps to empower workers and gives them a greater sense of ownership and control over their work.

One of the main benefits of worker-directed companies is that they give workers a say in how the business is run, they may feel more invested in the success of the company and be more motivated. Additionally, because worker cooperatives often prioritize worker well-being and a fair distribution of profits, they can also help to reduce income inequality and promote economic stability among their members. Worker-directed companies can also provide better job security than traditional companies, as worker-owners would not want to make the decision to layoff themselves.