New York State is in the middle of a widespread wage theft epidemic, which the United States Department of Labor estimates that workers in New York alone are cheated out of anywhere between $500 million and $1 billion in wages a year, according to the New York Daily News.

Legislation currently pending in Albany, the Secure Wages Earned Against Theft Act (SWEAT), would allow workers to apply a lien at the onset of litigation – instead of waiting for the court to award a judgment – which would assist with the collection of owed wages.

“There are employers who employ wage theft to set up a competitive advantage. Hiding it comes in the form of shifting assets,” said Richard Blum, Staff Attorney with the Employment Law Unit at The Legal Aid Society.