Is theft a crime?

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

The synonymous nature between the two acts in question is not hard to understand imo yet there's a bit of detouring to make note of distinctions that I don't think really change that nature.

The distinction of physically receiving the check or it being wired to your account before it being taken from you to mark a certain type of illegality is pretty immaterial imo. Legally speaking, employees are contracted to receive direct compensation for their all inclusive time. The systematic nature of it gets pretty reductive obviously, but the general dynamic between the perp and the victim isn't different.

[Riedquat]

Well yes but you're wording that as a contradiction to what I said whereas it's not really relevant. Whatever the technicalities you're still talking about the concept of not giving what's owed, which is different from taking something off someone.

I can't think of a concernable difference.

I don't know exactly what you mean by "concernable."

In my book exploiting someone and stealing from them are two different acts. That they both end up in what can be regarded as broadly similar results and both are unacceptable is true but there are also a lot of different nuances. We don't generally lump together any acts with similar outcomes and a lack of acceptability (or the other way around for that matter) with the same word, to do so is to oversimplify the world far too much.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

I don't know exactly what you mean by "concernable."

In my book exploiting someone and stealing from them are two different acts. That they both end up in what can be regarded as broadly similar results and both are unacceptable is true but there are also a lot of different nuances. We don't generally lump together any acts with similar outcomes and a lack of acceptability (or the other way around for that matter) with the same word, to do so is to oversimplify the world far too much.

The general legal understanding treats the respective culprits with the same degree of culpability. It's not just some similar nuances, we're talking about the act here, and it predominantly pertains to taking something from someone that's not yours. The only "differences" are what actually happens differently and it's not a matter of the nature of how what's rightfully someone's becomes unrightfully someone else's.

It's illegal for essentially the same reasons, that's not just a nuance.

[Nealithi]

So according to the tweets wage theft is technically not a crime and goes on constantly.
Yes very true. I have worked at several places that will do whatever they can to make you work for as little as possible. One of the best I heard of charged you for your uniforms and the cleaning of said uniforms. So all rapid turn over employees paid to work for them.
When challenged they will laugh in your face. But what is a kick to the genitals is everyone without a stake in the battle belittling the worker that they should bury themself in debt trying to sue the employer because it is 'right'. And if you don't then you are a gelded shell of a human being and a coward. And stop whining about it.
So not only is wage theft a thing. But it has been tied to social stigma.

[Darth Wedgius]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wage_theft

The numbers Fuzzy gave don't seem to be an exaggeration. There are civil penalties for it, but it's still very frequent. In general, a breach of contract doesn't result in jail time.

[Riedquat]

The general legal understanding treats the respective culprits with the same degree of culpability. It's not just some similar nuances, we're talking about the act here, and it predominantly pertains to taking something from someone that's not yours. The only "differences" are what actually happens differently and it's not a matter of the nature of how what's rightfully someone's becomes unrightfully someone else's.

It's illegal for essentially the same reasons, that's not just a nuance.

So it's two different things that both have similar outcomes and are equally reprehensible. Still two different things, so using the same word for both is oversimplifying - and just plain inaccurate.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

The general legal understanding treats the respective culprits with the same degree of culpability. It's not just some similar nuances, we're talking about the act here, and it predominantly pertains to taking something from someone that's not yours. The only "differences" are what actually happens differently and it's not a matter of the nature of how what's rightfully someone's becomes unrightfully someone else's.

It's illegal for essentially the same reasons, that's not just a nuance.

So it's two different things that both have similar outcomes and are equally reprehensible. Still two different things, so using the same word for both is oversimplifying - and just plain inaccurate.

And I'm not sure what purpose this distinction makes. I didn't say that there's no distinction. Just that for the purposes of this thread, given the numbers put out, those distinctions aren't very pertinent.

[Riedquat]

The purpose is because it was labelled as theft, which makes the very question one of semantics. It sounds closer to fraud than theft to me, which can also have the same outcome and be just as reprehensible but is a thing in its own right.

[TGLS]

Well, I suppose that's the thing. You commit wire fraud and you could get indicted and perhaps tossed in federal prison. You commit employment fraud and you might get sued by the guy you stiffed.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

The purpose is because it was labelled as theft, which makes the very question one of semantics. It sounds closer to fraud than theft to me, which can also have the same outcome and be just as reprehensible but is a thing in its own right.

Fraud, mugging, robbery, all are specific acts of thievery that one does in gaining financial gain. Thievery is probably the broadest of definitions, especially as far as the point of the thread; that being the displacing of people's money, by possession or contract, which qualifies wage manipulation as thievery.