On Monday, the Ministry of Employment and Labor will launch a comprehensive investigation into overdue wage claims at workplaces across the nation.

The ministry said Sunday that when a worker submits a report to a local labor office concerning unpaid wages, inspectors will not look at that worker’s case in isolation but will also inspect the workplace to see if other employees have similar complaints.

The ministry explained that the investigation reflects the government’s commitment to actively uncovering unpaid wage cases, settling outstanding claims, and deterring wage theft.

The investigation will initially focus on habitual offenders, or employers that have failed to pay outstanding wages on three or more verified occasions over the past year. 

The ministry plans to gradually expand the inspection in the new year to cover all reports of outstanding wages, taking into account the hiring schedule for additional labor inspectors.