Worker Misclassification Crackdown Nets $1.4 Million

Thursday, April 5, 2018 | 0

Secretary Ray Allen

Wisconsin collected almost $1.4 million last year in penalties, interest and unemployment insurance taxes in a crackdown on worker misclassification, the state Department of Workforce Development reported.

It's part of a multi-pronged effort that began in 2013 to enforce anti-fraud laws and to educate employers on classifying workers correctly as employees or independent contractors, in keeping with workers' compensation and other laws, the department said.

The department operates a Worker Misclassification Unit that works with law enforcement to investigate fraud. Since 2013, the unit has led 1,550 investigations and thousands of audits, and has promoted a public awareness campaign on worker classification, Department Secretary Ray Allen said.