They should. It's easy to report. Doesn't matter if nothing happens right away, because the more reports that accumulate the higher priority it becomes.
So instead of trying to tell me how fruitless this is and just give up to endless arguments, maybe report wage theft if you know about it. You can do it anonymously. You can do it for people that tell you. It's not a hopeless situation. Hell, lawyers take payment after the case is won, and you know if your wage is being stolen then others are too
It's easy to report, but retaliation is a thing, and is hard -- and expensive -- to prove. Someone subject to wage theft is not the kind of person who can afford that trouble.
And it's not like restaurant owners don't talk among themselves. Getting blackballed isn't great.
Bottom line is that you seem to think that there's zero reason why people are shy about reporting wage theft. And yet so many people don't want to do it. Maybe try a little humility on and accept that maybe there are reasons you don't know about or don't understand. It's very easy to tell people what they should be doing when you don't have to walk in their shoes.
It also is not expensive. At least not more than the theft. Lawyers working on wage theft generally take payment as part of the recovery. You pay out of the winnings, not up front.
Honestly, a big part of the problem is that many people have defeatist attitudes. A lot of people don't even bother to make a report after they leave. It is hard to retaliate when you've left.
[0] https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/retaliation
> it's not like restaurant owners don't talk among themselves
I’m sympathetic to the arguments, but this sounds like scaremongering.
If you have evidence of it, please post.
There are so many restaurants everywhere, just leave the worst place off your resume. I can’t see owners coordinating if there’s no online platform for it.