Illinois workers can now utilize State Treasurer Michael Frerichs’ I-CASH website to check for unpaid wages and penalties collected by the Illinois Department of Labor that may be waiting for them to claim.
This new feature on the Treasurer’s missing money site was made possible by a law change facilitated by State Senator Robert Peters and State Representative Marcus C. Evans Jr., which passed through the General Assembly last year.
The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) investigates wage theft and recovers back wages when employers underpay their workers in violation of state laws. However, many workers may be unaware that they are entitled to these funds.
Wage theft investigations can be lengthy, and workers may change addresses or phone numbers before they can be notified of recovered wages. Additionally, IDOL may have identified wage underpayments through audits without the affected employees being aware of the investigation.
The recent law change extends the recovery period for unpaid wages to three years, allowing the IDOL more time to locate employees owed money. After this period, unclaimed wages will be transferred to Treasurer Frerichs’ Unclaimed Property Trust Fund, enabling workers to still claim their funds.
Recently, the Illinois Department of Labor has begun sending recovered unpaid wages to the State Treasurer’s Office, with 25 individuals’ unpaid wages already added to the unclaimed property database. Workers can visit icash.illinoistreasurer.gov in the coming months to check for any back wages owed to them.
Furthermore, the law allocates funding for the Illinois Department of Labor to enhance outreach and education efforts related to the recovery of unpaid wages.
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