BALTIMORE -- Wage theft costs Americans more than any other type of theft.
"Owed," a WJZ investigation in collaboration with the CBS News' Innovation Lab, found thousands of Marylanders have filed complaints with the state claiming they are being cheated out of millions of dollars in overtime and benefits they earn from their employers.
Maryland has some of the nation's stiffest penalties for employers who break the law.
CBS News obtained data from the Maryland Department of Labor under the Public Information Act.
It revealed:
"I think we can confidently say that the official statistics on wage theft are not telling us the whole story," said lawyer Aron Zavaro, a partner at Thatcher Law in Greenbelt who specializes in wage theft cases.
He said some get settled out of court, and while other workers may be afraid to speak up, it is illegal for employers to retaliate.
"People are definitely afraid, but if you don't complain, all that happens is you're stuck in this position where you continue to be exploited," Zavaro said.
He also had a message to the many working from home after the pandemic: Make sure you're being paid for every hour.
"If this employee is on call and they're expected to do work at the drop of a hat, this really...
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