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Exploitation of workers by employers is mostly illegal, and totally unethical. The treatment of employees is not arbitrary, and is closely monitored by the US Department of Labor. If you feel that your employer is taking advantage of you, the following information may be useful.

Definition

According to Webster's New World Dictionary, exploitation is the "unethical utilization for selfish purposes." Within the definition of exploit, the following is stated: "to make unethical use of, for one's own advantage or profit; turn selfishly or unfairly to one's own account."

Determination

If you feel that you are not being treated fairly, it may not necessarily be exploitation. Some jobs have the feel of unfairness, but are perfectly legal. Be sure to document any areas of seeming unfairness for future use. Facts speak loudly, while memories are often ignored without documentation.

Choices

In the instance that you feel exploited, there are only a few options. The easiest is to seek another job if you doubt that you would ever be happy with this employer under any circumstance. Another option is to speak openly with your supervisor about the issues, at the risk of being fired. The other option is to report the problems to the US Department of Labor's state office. That contact information is available on www.dol.gov.

Examples

I once knew a restaurant owner who required his wait staff to work "off the clock" about an hour per day in order to keep their jobs. When one of them reported this to the Wage and Hour people, he was investigated. Within a month or two, he was fined a substantial fee, and ordered to pay all past workers their lost wages. In all, it cost him more than $12,000. If something seems unfair, contacting the Dept. of Labor is in order.

Reality check

Be sure to consider the implications of challenging the company for which you work. They tend to not "like" employees who complain, and your employment may become an issue. If you are not being treated in an ethical manner, address the issue in some manner. Ignoring it will not make it go away. Starting with a serious discussion with your supervisor is probably a good beginning. Sometimes bosses do not realize that they are not being fair, and will make a serious effort to remedy the situation.

Learn more about this author, Bob Schmidt.
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