More than $1 million was recovered for underpaid workers in Denver by Denver Labor in 2020, officials said. 

Denver Labor is a division within the city and county’s auditor’s office that promotes lawful employment and wage compliance.

“Every dollar we recover is a dollar that should already have been in a worker’s pocket,” Auditor Timothy O’Brien said in a news release.

“While we want to educate and work with businesses to support their operations without leading to financial hardship, workers also deserve the money they’re owed according to the law.”‘

Through hundreds of tips, calls or complaints from workers and employers, Denver Labor was able to recover $1,017,363 in wage underpayments and minimum wage back pay.

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The total amount recovered throughout 2020 is more than $300,000 higher than the previous record of just over $700,000 in 2016, according to the release. 

“Our team is working harder than ever to reach members of our community who might not be aware of their rights,” said Jeffery Garcia, the executive director for Denver Labor. “We work with employers every single day to walk them through the process and help them stay on track.”

The goal of Denver Labor is to educate employers across Denver about the city’s prevailing wage and minimum wage rates that impact thousands of workers.

Any worker who believes they aren’t being paid properly can file a complaint in either English or Spanish at denverauditor.org or by calling 720-913-5000.