If you're concerned about the struggles of the news industry and wonder what you can do, please cite the real-world impact of our work as clearly as this. It's quite rare, and it matters more than you may realize.

4 years ago, we investigated Arise Virtual Solutions, which companies like Disney & Comcast outsourced customer service to. Sparked by our story, the DC AG's office sued Arise—and now, they've settled: for $3 million, with $2 million going to workers. 1/ propublica.org/article/arise-…

The D.C. attorney general settled with Arise Virtual Solutions for misclassifying workers as “independent contractors.” The action followed a ProPublica story that outlined the violations. propublica.org/article/arise-…

This is a great example of the system working. Bold journalism uncovering abuse of workers. Accountability brought by government enforcers. Congrats to ProPublica AG Brian Schwalb h/t Sarah Michael Levine

NEW: Michael Saylor – billionaire tech executive and investor – will pay $40 million to the District in the largest income tax fraud recovery in DC history. Saylor not only broke the law, he openly bragged about his tax evasion scheme and encouraged others to follow his example.

Really big deal from the consumerfinance.gov. Increasingly, corporations draft contract terms that are blatantly illegal but that serve to intimidate and trick us—they know that often, the worst that will happen is a court striking down the term after the fact. /1 consumerfinance.gov/compliance/cir…

NEW: Our office secured $227,000 for workers and the District to resolve wage theft, misclassification, and retaliation allegations against three companies. Wage theft denies workers the pay and benefits they are entitled to and puts other DC businesses at a disadvantage.

Who's fighting #WageTheft? AG Brian Schwalb Brian Schwalb & team. They've recovered >$25M in the past few years & gotten serious injunctive relief, too, incl. in cases in construction, restaurants, healthcare & the gig economy. Great example of an AG office standing up for workers.

The new City Ridge development in DC has a Wegmans, a Tatte, an Equinox, luxury apartments, and rooftop greenhouse and a “sports simulator.” It was *$715 million* project. But hundreds of the construction workers who built it experienced wage theft and were denied any benefits.

Our office is able to fight wage theft because brave workers come forward to report abuses.   If you're a worker in DC who has experienced wage theft or other wage and hour violations, please contact OAG: 📱 Call 202-724-7730 📧 Email [email protected] 📧 Email [email protected]

There's a new law taking effect that requires pay transparency in DC! 💲 Starting this Sunday, June 30, employers in the District must include pay ranges in all job postings and cannot ask job applicants for their wage history — among other protections.  Spread the word, DC! 🔊

DC's minimum wage increased today! ↗️ The new minimum wage in the District is $17.50 per hour (up from $17) and the new tipped minimum wage is $10 per hour (up from $8). To report wage and hour violations to OAG, contact: 📧 [email protected] 📧 [email protected] 📱 202-724-7730

NEW: DC fine dining restaurant Swahili Village and its executives will pay $526,973 to its workers and to the District for systematically stealing wages and tips from servers, hosts, runners, bussers, and bartenders. Wage theft will not be tolerated in the District of Columbia.

"If you don't say nothing about it, people are going to keep doing what they can get away with... We are the ones that keep people coming back to your establishments. So why not treat us with respect?" — Rowles Adams, a former Swahili Village worker, on the impact of wage theft.

"Once the settlement became public, there’s been an outpouring. It struck a chord... We are receiving a lot of tips, and I think that’s a good sign. It shows there is a widespread problem." To report wage theft to OAG: ☎️ 202-724-7730 📧 [email protected] fox5dc.com/news/dc-ag-ann…

Treating worker misclassification as an unfair competitive practice. You love to see it.

After final sprint, I now have a draft of my job market paper! "Governing the Company Town" uses archival research to show that corporate-dominated enclaves never went away, they just changed institutional form—as facilitated by local government law. I look forward to discussing!

come work with me and the workers' rights team at DC OAG 🌟 loving work is a trap and yet I unironically love my job -- join! careers.dc.gov/psc/erecruit/E…

NEW: We secured $9.5 million in workers’ rights enforcement actions in the past year, including three record settlements. DC has strong worker protections, but they require enforcement. Our 2024 Labor Day Report details how we uphold worker rights in DC: oag.dc.gov/sites/default/…

In DC, workers are guaranteed: ✅ A $17.50 minimum wage ✅ Paid family leave ✅ Paid sick and safe leave ✅ Wage transparency ✅ Strong protections against wage theft, noncompete clauses, and misclassification. OAG will continue to uphold these critical worker protections.