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Labor encourages workers to file small claims
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Posted on May 13 2008
The Department of Labor is encouraging alien workers who fail to collect money awarded them through administrative orders to seek legal action.
In an interview with Saipan Tribune yesterday, Labor’s public education and outreach director, Rose Ada-Hocog, disclosed that starting early this month Labor would be putting in place a new procedure to help alien workers collect their money.
If an employer defaults on a payment schedule pursuant to a Labor administrative order, Labor will give the worker a package for small claims court.
“If they [workers] are owed money and they come over to the hearing officer to check if there’s any payment from the employer and the hearing officer does not have any payment for them, then what we would do is we would give the employee a package for small claims court,” she said.
The official explained that workers are advised to file the small claims against employers in the Superior Court.
She said they also tell workers of possible lawyers who entertain such small claims complaints.
Ada-Hocog, however, stressed that Labor would still help the workers in getting their monetary awards.
She said they just want to emphasize to the workers that Labor is not a collection agency.
