Bill Summary: A11726 - Wage Theft Prevention Act

• Requires employers to provide employees with written notice in English and their primary language at hiring and annually by February 1st, including pay rates, basis of payment, allowances, employer contact information, and regular paydays.

• Mandates employers maintain payroll records for six years showing hours worked, pay rates, gross/net wages, deductions, and overtime/piece rate information; employees must receive itemized wage statements with each payment.

• Increases liquidated damages from 25% to 100% of unpaid wages in wage theft cases; adds 15% automatic penalty if judgments remain unpaid after 90 days.

• Extends statute of limitations to six years for wage claims and tolls the period while the commissioner investigates or while an order to comply is pending.

• Expands protections against retaliation to include complaints to the attorney general or any other person; adds criminal penalties for violations of retaliation provisions and requires public notice posting when employers willfully fail to pay wages.