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PaulLeightonEasternMichiganUniversityPresentedattheAmerican
SocietyofCriminology,2016
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Outline1. UnderstandingwagetheD
[wageandhourviolaFons]
2. ThereisnocriminologyofwagetheD
3. Whythereisn’t/shouldbeacriminologyofwagetheD
4. Conclusion/calltoacFon PhotobyHeatherMooney
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UnderstandingwagetheD• FairLaborStandardsActof1938,29U.S.C.201,etseq
• Congressfinds“theexistence…oflaborcondiFonsdetrimentaltothemaintenanceoftheminimumstandardoflivingnecessaryforhealth,efficiency,andgeneralwell-beingofworkers• Minimumwage• 40hourworkweekw/overFmeat1.5Xregularpay• DeptofLaborWageandHourDivision
• Stateandlocalslawsmaygofurther• Canrequirehigherthanminimum–evena‘living’–wage• SpecificaFonforpayperiods,dataonpaycheck,deducFons• StateWageandHouragencies
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UnderstandingwagetheD• FairLaborStandardsActof1938:PenalFes
• 6monthsinprisonforsecondconvicFonundertheAct(29USC216a) And
• CivilacFonforwagesdue+100%penalty(§216b)
• Somestatelawsalsospecifyimprisonment
• InherentinwagetheDisfraudwithpayrolltaxes,punishablebyupto5yearsinprison26USC7202
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UnderstandingwagetheD• Types• Notpayingforallhoursworked–falsifyFmecard• NooverFme• Failtopayminimumwage(esppieceworkorwithFps)• Changingpaidbreaksintounpaid,workingthroughbreaks• RequiringemployeestoworkbeforeoraDershiD• ViolaFonsof‘donninganddoffing’[clothes,protecFvegear]• ImproperclassificaFonofemployeeasindependentcontractor• InternshipswithnoeducaFonalcomponent(takesplaceofaddiFonalsalariedemployee)• NotpayingreFrementcontribuFons,benefitsorpayrolltaxes
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UnderstandingwagetheD• 2009studyoflowwageindustriesinthreemajorciFesfoundwagetheDtotaled$3billion
• $50billionlossupdatesandextrapolatestotherestofthelowwageworkforce[EconomicPolicyInsFtute2014]• 2012–almost$1billioninactual,knownrecoveredwages
• FBI:lossesfromallpropertycrimein2012=$15.5billion
• $50billionunderesFmatebecausewagetheDhappenstomiddleandupperincomeemployees
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NocriminologyofwagetheD
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NocriminologyofwagetheD• NomajorcriminologyjournalhaspublishedanarFcleprimarilyaboutwagetheDinmorethan20years.
• Criminology,Jus0ceQuarterly,JournalofResearchinCrimeandDelinquency,LawandSocietyReview,JournalofCriminalLawandCriminology,CrimeandDelinquency,CriminologyandPublicPolicy,Theore0calCriminology,CriminalJus0ceandBehavior,SocialJus0ce,Crime,Law,andSocialChange,TheJournalofCriminalJus0ce
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Whythereisn’t/shouldbeacriminologyofwagetheD
• WagetheDisacrimeofthepowerful
• “…themostimportantthingsdoneforgoodorill…[are]donebycorporateratherthanindividualactors.”
• Wecannotproceed“asifSutherlandnevergavehis1939PresidenFaladdresstotheAmericanSociologicalSocietythatbrought‘whitecollarcrime’intotheEnglishlanguage.”
• Braithwaite,2003.What’swrongwiththesociologyofpunishment?Theore0calCrim,7(1):5-28.
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Whythereisn’t/shouldbeacriminologyofwagetheD
• WagetheDisaboutregulaFon
• Thesocialcontrolof(naturalandcorporate)personsrequiresanunderstandingofhowcriminallawmixeswithcivillawandregulaFonstocreatesocialcontrol.
• “…todayweliveinaworldwherecriminalacFonisincreasinglyembeddedinorganizaFonalacFon.”
• Braithwaite,2003.What’swrongwiththesociologyofpunishment?Theore0calCrim,7(1):5-28.
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Whythereisn’t/shouldbeacriminologyofwagetheD
• Criminologyprogramsclaimtheywanttopreparestudentsforthejobmarket…justnottheexploitaFonintheworkplace
• Prepareresume,pracFcepresentaFons,discussdressandpracFceinterviewquesFons• BUT• Don’tdiscussthelawsthatgivethemrightsoverwhattheyearnedandhowtochallengethetheDoftheirearnings
• TeachingaboutwagetheDcouldhelpempowerstudents
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Whythereisn’t/shouldbeacriminologyofwagetheD
• CriminologyprogramsclaimtheywanttohelpstudentsthinkcriFcallyaboutcrimeandjusFce,evenexposetheinjusFceofharshpunishmentsforthepoor…justnotthehypocrisyofasystemwithlisleaccountabilityforthepowerful
• WhydosomestatewageandhourdivisionswhopolicebusinesshavenoinvesFgaFvepower?• Whywerethewageandhourdivisionsofseveralstatescompletelydefundedforseveralyears,sothattherewasnostatepolicingofwagetheD?
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Conclusion:CallforaCriminologyofWageTheD
• “Afairday’spayforafairday’swork”
• VicFmology:MassfinancialvicFmizaFons• Cancostindividualsasignificant%ofincome,espstressfulwheninprecariouseconomicsituaFon• Cheatgovtoutoftaxes[reduceservices,increasetaxes]
• CompeFFveadvantagestobusinessesengagedinwagetheD,sopracFcespreadsifenforcementisweak• Outsourcetolowestbidder,solessdirectlyaccountableforwagetheDthatispartofthebusinessmodel
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• CriminologyshouldstudyallsignificantcrimesandembraceequalprotecFonunderthelaw.
• EspeciallyNOT
• “workplacetheD”meansemployeesstealing,notemployers• “insurancefraud”meansinsurancecompanyvicFms,notperpetrators
• “creditcardfraud”meansfinancialinsFtuFonvicFms,notpredatoryandillegalbehaviorbyfinancialinsFtuFons
• JockYoungnotesthatatFmes,criminologyis“parodyingthemostconvenFonalprejudicesofbourgeoissociety”(inPearce,CrimesofthePowerful[1976],p11)
Conclusion:CallforaCriminologyofWageTheD
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Dr.PaulLeightonisaProfessorintheDepartmentofSociology,Anthropology&CriminologyatEasternMichiganUniversity.Heistheco-authorofTheRichGetRicherandthePoorGetPrison(11thed,Routledge2017).Heisalsoco-authorofClass,Race,Gender&Crime(4thed,RowmanandLislefield,2013).MoreinformaFon:hsp://paulsjusFcepage.com/paul/pauls-cv.htm
Seealso: