Working without pay has increasingly been called "wage theft" in casual parlance, but the applicable statute depends on your jurisdiction. In the US, failing to

Working without pay has increasingly been called "wage theft" in casual parlance, but the applicable statute depends on your jurisdiction. In the US, failing to pay a worker for completed work is a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (and subsequent statute) if you fail to meet minimum wage levels, and it also probably runs afoul of state and local laws in various jurisdictions. As US labor laws are significantly weaker than their EU counterparts, it is primarily pursued a civil matter since it's obviously breach of contract -- if pursued at all. EU law protects employees from losing their wage claims in the event of employer insolvency. For most workers, the cost of seeking redress is not something they can afford to do, although local resources to file complaints may be available in some jurisdictions (such as SF). A common tactic of employer wage theft is misclassification of workers as independent contractors, a practice that is falling under increasing scrutiny from regulators.