In the aftermath of federal wage and hour investigations, the U.S. Department of Labor has recovered more than $16 million in back wages that remain unclaimed in Pennsylvania.

More than 16,000 Pennsylvania workers — including over 400 in the Greater Pittsburgh area — have yet to recoup the funds, the agency said in a news release earlier this week, often due to their inability to notify employees who have changed jobs or addresses.

“Our preference in a normal course of action is to have the employers pay these employees directly — but that's not always possible,” said Dan Doherty, an assistant district director in the DOL’s Pittsburgh office. “And even when the employers are looking, they can’t always locate these workers.”

To facilitate the funds’ recovery, the department created an online search tool known as Workers Owed Wages (WOW). The tool, which is available in both English and Spanish, enables workers and their advocates to determine if they are owed wages — and if so, claim them — by answering a brief series of questions.

In Allegheny County, $1.1 million in back wages remains unclaimed by 1,134 workers, according to an agency spokesperson.

Notable cases of unclaimed funds in the Pittsburgh area include Christian Home Health Care, which paid $812,675 in back wages after a worker misclassification and overtime pay investigation. Of that, about $365,000 (or 45%) of the wages remain unclaimed by 369 workers.

Loving Kindness Healthcare Systems also paid nearly $680,000 in back wages to 93 workers after the agency charged them with overtime pay violations. About $21,000 remains unclaimed by 92 workers.

The DOL’s Wage and Hour Division can only hold unclaimed back wages for three years before it is required to turn the money over to the Department of the Treasury.

“Despite the division’s best efforts, too much of this money remains unclaimed,” the agency said in its release.

For assistance with the Workers Owed Wages system, workers and labor advocates can contact the Wage and Hour Division’s Pittsburgh District Office at 412-395-4996. The agency provides phone assistance in more than 200 languages.

Michael Korsh; mkorsh@post-gazette.com 

First Published: January 27, 2024, 4:25 p.m.