ST. LOUIS — The U.S. Department of Labor says more than 4,700 Missouri and Kansas workers are owed a share of $2.4 million in back pay.
The department said a significant amount of money remains unclaimed because some of the workers who are due back wages cannot be located.
The Labor Department said over 1,500 Kansas workers are owed more than $1 million in back wages, and over 3,200 Missouri workers are over $1.4 million.
Department officials said an employee might be owed back pay if they changed jobs, addresses or names within the past three years. In some cases, if an employer is unable to retain proper contact information, the department might have trouble finding employees who are owed back pay.
The department has created an online search tool known as Workers Owed Wages (WOW) that allows workers nationwide to enter information to find out if they are owed back pay. The tool is intended to help employees find out if they are owed money and how to receive it.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division can only hold unclaimed back wages for three years before its required to turn it over funds to the Department of the Treasury.
“Too much of this money remains unclaimed,” the department tells FOX 2.
To check if you are eligible for back pay, click here.