Although recently bolstered, the team of inspectors remains smaller than it was 50 years ago, which means relying on worker complaints, said James Myall, a policy analyst at the left-leaning Maine Center for Economic Policy. The power imbalance between employees and managers in low-wage, hourly industries means many people fear making those calls, he added.
Myall estimates Maine workers lost $30 million in wages as a result of labor violations in 2017.
“Some of the estimates out there suggest there is a lot more going on than they are able to catch with this inspection capacity,” he said.
Mills administration cracking down on employer wage and hour violations
