Denver Labor helps wage theft victim recover hundreds of dollars after Taylor Swift concert
It was concessions stand gig Alison Jones could not pass up two summers ago.
"They needed help with the Taylor Swift concert, and I was really excited about that," said Jones. "It was a sold out concert. People were in a good mood. They were in a party mood. They were having a good time, and they tipped very well."
However, it was the blank space she noticed when she finally got her check in the mail that she realized she did not receive any of the tips she made at the concert.
"It was very hard. Imagine losing anywhere from $300 to $500 out of your paycheck," said Jones. "For some people, that's two to three days' work or even an entire week's worth that you never got paid.
Joes had been doing gig work like what she did for The Eras Tour since the pandemic, ranging from covering concerts at Empower Field at Mile High, Rockies games, and other big events.
"I really loved the versality and the variety. So, that's what kept me in it. I'm now a student, and this is how I support being a student [by] picking up gigs," she said. "You can pick and choose the jobs that you want. It's very convenient. You build your own schedule, and you clock in and out on your phone."
In this instance, she was using a service called TEND to connect her with her role at the concert.
"I did file a complaint with the company I was working for, and they never resolved the issue," said Jones about not receiving her tips. "This is actually very common in the gig industry because they label us as independent contractors when we're not."
Jones said not getting her money was the final straw, and after not hearing back from TEND, she turned to Denver's labor department to conduct an investigation into wage theft.
"We took the necessary steps to acquire the right paperwork, look into the company that was supposed to pay her properly," said Michael Brannen, Executive Director of Communications and Government relations at the Denver Auditor's office.
Brannen says their office's investigation resulted in Jones receiving triple her tips back, which came to a total of $900 in restitution.
"If people think they are victims of wage theft, they should be keeping a record trail and a paper trail of their pay slips, how much they've earned, especially the tips that they've earned," said Brannen.
Jones is one of more than 4,500 people Denver Labor has helped with wage theft cases in the last year. In total, they have recovered roughly $2 million in back pay owed to workers.
"When we look at case of potential wage theft, we look at the type of work that people are doing, the tools they're using, the machinery and the equipment that they use, and is it aligned with the wage that they're earning. We look into that and if they're underpaid, we do our best to help recover restitution," said Brannen.
Jones is grateful for Denver Labor and the work they did to help recover her wages. While she still plans to continue to do gig work, she now has confidence when picking up any gig that she has the power to push back when the numbers do not add up.
"Your tips belong to you. That's your money, your paycheck, nobody has the right to tell you that they can keep your tips," said Jones.
Starting in January, Denver's minimum wage will increase from $18.29 to $18.81, which the auditor's office says is more of a reason now than ever before for workers to make sure they document what they are supposed to make and what they receive in order to not become a victim of wage theft.
