California Department of Industrial Relations and Labor Commissioner Create Complaint Hotline

Employees who think their employer is not paying wages or following other California labor laws can now lodge complaints with the Department of Industrial Relations, which includes the state Labor Commissioner's office.  See the press release here.

This new system allows workers to fill out an online form (here) to report violations.  The report does not constitute a claim for the employee's own wages, which would have to be filed separately.   However it is unclear what the agencies will do with the reported info.

The online system ensures that employees do not harass employers by filing bogus complaints, or makes reports about matters that have nothing to do with the Labor Commissioner.  Ha, I kid.  Of course disgruntled employees will use the system to beat on their former employers.

So, forewarned is forearmed.  Despite my cynical comment above, most employees do not want to turn their bosses in.  So, it's important to keep up on the wage-hour requirements, pay your employees in accordance with the law, etc.

But it's also important to give employees a way to raise concerns internally, so they do not go to external resources.  If employees have no recourse within your organization, they'll find another way.