Labor Compliance accepts complaints involving nonpayment of prevailing wages for work performed under a transportation-related construction contract that is funded in whole or in part with state and/or federal funds. If you suspect that your employer has not compensated you appropriately, complete the Prevailing Wage Complaint Form (PDF, 383 KB) and submit it to the address listed below.
How do I file a wage complaint?
- Complete a separate form for each project.
- Provide a response to each question. If a response cannot be provided, please mark "unknown".
If you cannot be specific, please give a general or estimated response. - Provide additional records related to the work that you performed (e.g. check stubs, time cards, log books, haul slips, etc.). Please make copies of this information and submit with your complaint. (KEEP YOUR ORIGINAL RECORDS).
- Submit all information related to your claim, along with the complaint form to:
Clancy Finnegan
MnDOT Labor Compliance unit
Mail Stop 650
395 John Ireland Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1800
What are my rights as an employee on a highway construction project?
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Employee Right-to-Know Card in English (PDF, 52 KB)
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Employee Right-to-Know Card in Spanish (PDF, 23 KB)
Can I pursue legal action against my employer for failure to pay me prevailing wage?
Pursuant with Minnesota Statute 177.27, Subdivision 8, an employee may bring a civil action against his/her employer for failure to comply with the compensation requirements under the Minnesota State Prevailing Wage Law. Please refer to the above-mentioned link for additional information.
What should I do if I think I was owed money on a prevailing wage project but never received it?
Labor Compliance has resolved thousands of prevailing wage claims over the years and as a result, many employees have received back wage checks from our office. However, in certain situations, Labor Compliance is unable to locate each employee. Therefore, in accordance with state law, our office will forward all unclaimed back wage checks to the Minnesota Department of Commerce as "Unclaimed Property."
If you think that you may have been owed money on a federal and/or state funded transportation construction project and did not receive a back wage check from Labor Compliance, please visit the Minnesota Department of Commerce (Unclaimed Property Division) web page and follow the instructions.
Is there any technology available to help me keep track of my work hours?
The U.S. Labor Department has developed an iPhone application called DOL-Timesheet available at http://www.dol.gov/dol/apps to help employees independently track the hours they work and determine the wages they are owed. Employees can track regular work hours, break time and any overtime hours for one or more employers. This new technology is significant because workers now can keep their own records instead of relying on their employers’ records. The app is available in English and Spanish.