In a similar vein, New York has been stepping up efforts to seek felony convictions of businesses accused of wage theft in the Empire State. Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James last week announced that the state Wage Theft Task Force had secured charges against a dozen businesses – including some restaurants – and assisted over 200 workers recoup pay owed them by their employers over the past two years. In addition, they also announced that the state is expanding its efforts to simplify the process for workers to file complaints against their employers. At a cost of $10 million, the NY Department of Labor is creating a new online portal, known as the Worker Protection Management System, through which workers will be able to more easily file complaints (even from a cell phone) against their employers. The new online system, which is set to be up and running in time for the 2023 New Year will also provide real-time data to the NYDOL, thereby enhancing its ability to “identify violation trends!”