2. News Room

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DWD Equal Rights Division Expands Online Research Portal to Include Reports on
Lost Wages Collected for Wisconsin Workers

MADISON – The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has expanded its online resources to include data on lost wages that DWD's Equal Rights Division collects on behalf of Wisconsin workers. The wage collection report shows DWD has collected more than $5.6 million in lost wages over the past five years.

"Our Equal Rights Division enforces more than 40 labor standards and civil rights laws, including our state's wage and hour requirements, and division staff work aggressively to recover lost wages that hard-working Wisconsinites have earned," DWD Secretary Amy Pechacek said. "We are pleased to provide public access to the collection data as part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and improved customer service through modernization."

The report is accessible through DWD's online equal rights portal, which launched in 2022 with easy-to-use tools to view and filter data on datasets such as mediation statistics and complaints received by law, basis, and county. The wage collection report automatically displays the last five years of activity, and users can filter the data by month/year and view number of cases and affected workers represented by a selected dollar amount.

The vast majority of wage collection actions are small awards collected on behalf of individual employees. Large variances in a single year typically reflect litigation or large settlements involving many employees.

Other new online equal rights resources launched this year include a case portal and work permit application system. The equal rights online complaint filing system was launched in 2022.

DWD's online research portal can be found on the DWD Equal Rights webpage. Questions about the research portal may be directed to the Equal Rights Division.

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ABOUT DWD

Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development efficiently delivers effective and inclusive services to meet Wisconsin's diverse workforce needs now and for the future. The department advocates for and invests in the protection and economic advancement of all Wisconsin workers, employers and job seekers through six divisions – Employment and Training, Vocational Rehabilitation, Unemployment Insurance, Equal Rights, Worker's Compensation and Administrative Services. To keep up with DWD announcements and information, sign up for news releases and follow us on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.