If you worked for an employer in the United States and believe you may have been underpaid, there could be wages that were recovered on your behalf and are still waiting to be claimed.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigates potential violations of federal labor laws. When violations are found, the agency may recover unpaid wages for affected employees. In some cases, however, the WHD is unable to locate the workers who are entitled to that money.
That is where Workers Owed Wages (WOW) comes in.
Workers Owed Wages is an official U.S. Department of Labor search tool that allows workers to find out whether the Wage and Hour Division has recovered back wages for them.
The process starts by searching for an employer. If the employer appears in the database, workers can then check their names and find out whether the WHD is holding wages for them.
Understanding who may appear in the system, how the search works, and what happens after a match can make the process much easier.
What Are Workers Owed Wages?
Workers Owed Wages are unpaid wages that the Wage and Hour Division has recovered as a result of its enforcement activities but has not yet been able to deliver to the workers who are owed the money.
The WHD is responsible for enforcing several federal labor laws. Its investigators examine issues involving wages, hours, and other employment conditions.
When the agency finds violations, it may recover back wages on behalf of current or former employees.
The Department of Labor attempts to locate and notify workers who are due these back wages. But this is not always possible.
A worker may have changed addresses, changed phone numbers, left the employer years earlier, or otherwise become difficult to locate.
When the WHD cannot find the worker, it holds the recovered wages while continuing its efforts to locate that person.
The Workers Owed Wages database gives workers another way to find out whether the agency may be holding money for them.
Importantly, WOW should not be confused with a government assistance or benefits program. There is no general WOW payment available to everyone who meets a set of income requirements.
Instead, the money in the system is connected to wages the WHD has already recovered for specific workers.
Who May Have Workers Owed Wages?
There is no traditional eligibility test for Workers Owed Wages.
Unlike programs that determine eligibility according to household income, age, disability, family size, or another set of requirements, WOW is based on whether the Wage and Hour Division recovered unpaid wages associated with a worker.
In practical terms, a person may want to search the database if they previously worked for an employer that was investigated by the WHD and believe unpaid wages may have been recovered on their behalf.
Workers do not necessarily need to still work for that employer.
The Department of Labor explains that when the WHD finds labor law violations, it often collects unpaid wages due to both current and former employees.
That distinction is important. Someone who left a company may still be among the workers for whom wages were recovered.
The WHD also states that it enforces applicable worker protections regardless of a worker’s immigration status.
However, having worked for an employer that appears in the WOW database does not automatically mean that money is available for every person who worked there.
The only way to determine whether the system identifies wages for a particular worker is to complete the search.
What Types of Problems Can Lead to Back Wages?
Back wages can result when workers were not paid amounts they were legally owed.
For example, under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Department of Labor can recover unpaid minimum wages or unpaid overtime compensation in applicable cases.
WHD investigators gather information about wages, working hours, and other employment conditions to determine whether employers are complying with federal labor requirements.
When violations are identified, the Department of Labor has several enforcement mechanisms available, including supervising payment of unpaid minimum wages or overtime compensation.
The exact circumstances vary from investigation to investigation.
For that reason, workers should not assume that simply having experienced a payroll disagreement means money will appear in WOW. The database specifically concerns back wages that have been recovered by the Wage and Hour Division and remain available to be claimed.
How to Check If You Have Unpaid Wages
The Workers Owed Wages search begins with the employer rather than the employee.
This is an important detail for anyone using the system for the first time.
Step 1: Search for Your Employer
Open the official Workers Owed Wages application from the U.S. Department of Labor.
The first search field asks for the employer’s name or a keyword.
According to the instructions provided in the WOW application, a keyword can also relate to the company’s industry or product.
There is also an optional state filter that can help narrow the results.
After entering the information, run the WOW search.
Step 2: Select the Correct Company
The application will display employers matching the search criteria.
Review the results carefully and look for the employer you worked for.
If there are multiple pages of results, continue through them until you locate the appropriate company.
If your employer does not appear, the Department of Labor suggests returning to the search and trying different criteria.
Once you identify the correct employer, select the company and continue.
Step 3: Check Your Name
After selecting the employer, the WOW application provides a name search.
Enter your first and last name and select the option to check your name.
The system will display matching versions of names that were found.
If your name appears, select the appropriate result and continue with the process.
If it does not appear, you can begin another search.
This step is what determines whether the WOW database contains a potential match for you under the selected employer.
What Happens If Your Name Is Found?
Finding your name is not the final step.
If the system identifies you as a worker for whom wages are being held, you will need to provide current contact information so the Department of Labor can send you the necessary claim information.
The WOW system asks for contact details and, after submission, provides a confirmation.
The Department of Labor then sends the worker a Back Wage Claim Form (WH-60) and instructions.
The worker must complete and sign the form.
According to the Department of Labor’s current claim instructions, the worker then creates a Login.gov account to securely upload the signed claim form and the required supporting documentation.
What Documents Can Be Used to Verify Your Identity?
Identity verification is an important part of the claim process because the Department of Labor needs to make sure recovered wages are delivered to the correct person.
The Department of Labor currently lists several examples of documents that may be used to verify identity during a WOW claim.
These include:
- Social Security card
- Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) card
- Driver’s license or state ID
- W-2
- Pay stub
- Other documentation that can be used for verification
Workers should follow the instructions provided with their individual Back Wage Claim Form and submit the requested documentation through the designated process.
How Long Does It Take to Receive Workers Owed Wages?
Submitting a claim does not mean payment is immediate.
The Department of Labor currently states that after a worker submits the Back Wage Claim Form, the Wage and Hour Division will process it within approximately six weeks and send the wages owed.
This timeframe should be treated as an estimate rather than a guarantee that every claim will be completed on exactly the same date.
Providing the requested information and following the claim instructions carefully can help avoid issues caused by missing documentation.
How Long Does the Department of Labor Hold Unclaimed Back Wages?
There is a time limit that workers should understand.
When the Wage and Hour Division has recovered back wages but cannot locate the employee, the agency holds those wages for three years while continuing its efforts to find the worker.
If the WHD remains unable to locate the person after that period, it is required to send the money to the U.S. Treasury.
This is one reason former employees who believe wages may have been recovered for them may want to check the WOW database rather than assuming the Department of Labor will always be able to contact them.
The Department of Labor specifically encourages people who think the WHD may have recovered unpaid wages for them to use Workers Owed Wages to search the database.
What If Your Employer Does Not Appear?
Not finding an employer in WOW does not necessarily answer every question about whether an employer owes a worker wages.
WOW has a specific purpose: helping workers find back wages that the Wage and Hour Division has already recovered and is holding for workers it has not been able to locate.
A separate process exists for workers who believe their employer failed to pay them properly and want to contact the Wage and Hour Division about a possible violation.
The Department of Labor accepts worker complaints, and the WHD states that discussions with the agency are confidential. It also advises workers to contact the division promptly because statutes of limitations can affect wage claims.
For Fair Labor Standards Act cases, the Department of Labor explains that a two-year statute of limitations generally applies to non-willful violations, while a three-year statute of limitations generally applies to willful violations.
These time limits concern potential claims and should not be confused with the separate three-year period during which the WHD holds already-recovered wages for workers it has been unable to locate.
Is Workers Owed Wages the Same as Unclaimed Property?
No.
The concept may sound similar because both can involve money waiting for its owner, but Workers Owed Wages has a much narrower purpose.
WOW specifically concerns wages recovered through the Wage and Hour Division’s enforcement activities.
State unclaimed-property programs can involve many other types of assets, such as uncashed checks, dormant accounts, insurance proceeds, deposits, and other property transferred to state custody.
Someone who finds nothing through WOW could therefore still have other types of unclaimed property elsewhere. The systems are separate.
Can Former Employees Search Workers Owed Wages?
Yes.
The Department of Labor specifically states that WHD investigations can result in unpaid wages being collected for current and former employees.
This makes the database relevant even if you have not worked for a particular employer for some time.
When searching, consider previous employers as well as your current employer if you have reason to believe the Wage and Hour Division may have recovered unpaid wages associated with the company.
Does Everyone Who Searches Receive Money?
No.
Searching the Workers Owed Wages database does not guarantee that wages are available.
WOW is not a stimulus payment, loan, grant, or general federal benefit.
The database is designed to connect specific workers with unpaid wages that the Wage and Hour Division recovered for them.
A search may produce no employer match, an employer may appear without the worker’s name appearing, or the system may identify the worker and allow the claim process to continue.
For that reason, it is more accurate to think of WOW as a search-and-claim system for recovered unpaid wages, rather than a program that provides a payment to everyone who qualifies.
Is the Workers Owed Wages Search Official?
Yes.
Workers Owed Wages is provided by the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor.
The Department describes the tool as a way for people who believe WHD may have recovered unpaid wages for them to search its database and, when money is found, submit a claim.
The search can be performed on a phone, tablet, or computer, and the Department of Labor’s WOW materials state that the tool is available in English and Spanish.
What Should You Do If the Search Finds Wages for You?
If WOW identifies wages associated with your name, follow the instructions displayed by the Department of Labor rather than relying on information from unofficial sources.
In general, the current process involves providing your contact information, receiving the WH-60 Back Wage Claim Form, completing and signing the form, verifying your identity, and securely submitting the required documents.
After the claim is submitted, the Wage and Hour Division reviews it before payment is sent.
Because procedures can change, workers should always follow the most current instructions shown in the official WOW application during their claim.
Final Thoughts
Workers Owed Wages gives current and former employees a straightforward way to find out whether the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division recovered unpaid wages for them.
The key distinction is that this is not a traditional government benefit with a standard eligibility application.
Instead, the WHD first identifies labor law violations and may recover unpaid wages for affected employees. When the agency cannot locate one of those workers, the money can be held while the WHD continues trying to find the person.
The WOW application allows workers to take the initiative and search for themselves.
The process begins by searching for the employer, selecting the correct company, and checking the worker’s first and last name. If the system identifies wages owed, the worker can proceed with the claim process and provide the documentation required by the Department of Labor.
Since the WHD holds unclaimed back wages for three years before money it cannot distribute must be sent to the U.S. Treasury, workers who believe they may be affected should understand how the search works and use the official Workers Owed Wages system to check their situation.