Garment Worker Wage Claim Pilot Program

2026-11-03

This agreement is entered into by and between the Labor Commissioner ’ s Office ( LCO ), hereafter referred to as the Department of Industrial Relations ( DIR or State ) and ( TDB upon award ), hereafter referred to as Contractor . The Contractor agrees to provide a comprehensive education plan for garment workers in order to increase thorough understanding of protections and processes available at DIR in addition to proactive steps workers should consider to best protect themselves against wage theft and retaliation . DETAIL SCOPE OF WORK 1 . TASK 1 : IMPLEMENTATION PLAN The Contractor shall develop a comprehensive education plan and training to garment workers to help them proactively protect themselves against wage theft , retaliation , and other labor violations . The Plan shall identify relevant industry challenges and geographic target areas , including identifying a strategy geared toward reaching garment workers in the relevant geographic target areas . The Plan shall identify language access needs for the target audiences and provide for translation and interpretation services in educational materials , events and activities . a . Education i . The Plan shall delineate educational content for garment workers in accessible languages and formats that describe early warning signs of violations , including wage theft ( e . g ., unpaid hour , incorrect pay ), denial of breaks , retaliation for raising concerns , misclassification as independent contractors , and explain wage and hour laws including minimum wage , overtime , sick leave , recordkeeping , retaliation and human trafficking awareness , as well as action steps when violations are suspected , including continued detailed documentation , preserve records , and procedures for how to file wage claims , retaliation complaints , reports of labor law violation ( RLLV ) or reports of unregistered contractors with DIR . Educational content shall include both print and digital media and should incorporate interactive or online learning opportunities such as videos , webinars , websites , and digital mobile applications ( apps ). ii . This Plan shall outline how to effectively deliver education and training to garment workers to help them proactively protect themselves against wage theft , retaliation , and other labor violations . iii . The Plan shall delineate how to educate workers on steps to take before accepting employment to reduce vulnerability to exploitation . The Plan shall outline practical guidance to encourage workers to request written documentation of employment terms and advise workers to keep records . iv . The Plan shall describe methods to train workers on how and when to document their own work - related information and documents to collect , especially in situations where violations may occur . v . The Plan shall education on common industry practices , including misclassification of employees as independent contractors , contracting and subcontracting structures in garment manufacturing to increase workers understanding on these practices affect their rights under the law and broader impacts on workers and the economy . vi . The Plan shall promote awareness and identification of human trafficking indicators , immigration - related retaliation , violation of the Equal Pay Act ( EPA ) to reduce fear and isolation through education . vii . The Plan shall outline implementation of strategies to ensure workers leave better informed about their rights , confident in identifying violations , and capable of using labor protections and DIR resources . viii . The Plan shall identify a process to allow DIR visibility into future outreach activity and allow DIR to attend education sessions and provide observations , feedback , and / or surveys to use as a control to independently assess whether education objectives are being met . Educational materials should consistently direct workers to DIR resources and filing options , in addition to any Contractorbased services . ix . The Plan shall clearly lay out : specific goals ( e . g . quarterly and yearly goals ), how success will be measured , a timeline for completion , and concrete methods for delivering results . x . The Plan shall specify how outreach locations and methods are selected and prioritized . The Plan shall explain how these choices align with garment industry data and areas of highest need . xi . The Plan shall clearly outline how services funded under this scope will be separately identified from any fee - based membership structure in order to meet the letter of the law requiring that workers receive free services .

California

2026-05-10