Im on a prevailing wage job in Illinois and the bosses have tried to keep it quiet but the cat is out of the bag now they are trying to say they are paying over prevailing wage bcuz prevailing wage for a building carpenter is 13.72 an hour.
1 reply
Mar 25, 2020
An employer, customer, etc. can't just decide not to pay prevailing wages, and they can't issue some document to supersede wage requirements. With that being said, prevailing wage requirements require that employees be paid at least the local prevailing wages (including fringe benefits). So, if an employer is actually already paying in excess of what prevailing wages require, then they may not need to do much to be in compliance. Though, they'd still need to provide certified payrolls to their customer.
If you'd like to look at prevailing wage rates to determine if the employer is being honest, this resource should be valuable: Illinois Historical Prevailing Wage Rates. If it's clear that prevailing wages haven't been paid, as required, then it may be time to consult an Illinois construction attorney familiar with prevailing wage requirements and claims. Or, filing a complaint with the Illinois Department of Labor would be an option too.