Philadelphia Wage Theft Ordinance: Handbook Statement Added

Author: Melissa Gonzalez Boyce, XpertHR Legal Editor

Effective July 1, 2016, the Philadelphia Pay Wage Theft Ordinance (PWTO) imposes additional penalties on Philadelphia employers, including employers that compensate employees for work performed in Philadelphia or enter into employment contracts in Philadelphia, for the underpayment or nonpayment of wages. Under this new law, covered employers are required to provide notice to employees that:

  • Employees are entitled to file complaints for unpaid wages under the PWTO;
  • Retaliation against employees who file complaints under the PWTO is prohibited; and
  • Each employee has the right to file a complaint or bring a civil action of the employer fails to pay allow wages earned by the employee.

Employers must comply with this notice obligation by supplying each employee with a notice, displaying a poster or including this information in any employee handbook that is distributed to employees. To assist employers covered by the PWTO, the Wage Theft Notice Handbook Statement: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has been added to the Pennsylvania employee handbook. In addition, the Pennsylvania table of contents has been updated accordingly.