underpaying
Compensating too little
Underpaying is paying someone less than they deserve or less than the going rate for their work.
The term implies unfairness—not just low wages, but wages below what's appropriate: The company has been underpaying its workers for years.
It can also mean paying less than what's owed: They've been underpaying their taxes.
Employer withholding earned compensation
- sweatshopExploitative manufacturing workplace
- cheap laborUndervalued workforce services
- overworkToil to exhaustion
- understaffedInsufficient employees for workload
undervalued · cost-cutting · profit maximization · greed · power imbalance · migrant workers · gig economy · subcontracting
Lowest lawful hourly rate
- living wageIncome covering necessities
- overtimeWork beyond scheduled hours
- fair wageAdequate compensation for labor
- hourly ratePay calculated by time
compensation · benefits · pay scale · paycheck · take-home pay · wage laws · payroll · back pay
Not fair or right
- unethicalViolating moral standards
- exploitativeUnfairly using others' vulnerabilities
- unfairUnjust or partial
- wrongfulWithout legal right
inequitable · dishonest · grievance · injustice · bad faith · noncompliance · deceptive practices · accountability
Disparity in earnings
- gender gapInequality between sexes
- pay disparityUnequal earnings between groups
- salary gapDifference in worker compensation
- racial pay gapIncome difference by ethnicity
glass ceiling · equal pay · wage discrimination · pay equity · motherhood penalty
wage theft
Employer withholding earned compensation
- sweatshopExploitative manufacturing workplace
- cheap laborUndervalued workforce services
- overworkToil to exhaustion
understaffed · undervalued · cost-cutting · profit maximization · greed · power imbalance · migrant workers · gig economy · subcontracting
minimum wage
Lowest lawful hourly rate
- living wageIncome covering necessities
- overtimeWork beyond scheduled hours
- fair wageAdequate compensation for labor
hourly rate · compensation · benefits · pay scale · paycheck · take-home pay · wage laws · payroll · back pay · wage claim
unjust
Not fair or right
- unethicalViolating moral standards
- exploitativeUnfairly using others' vulnerabilities
- unfairUnjust or partial
wrongful · inequitable · dishonest · grievance · injustice · bad faith · noncompliance · deceptive practices · accountability · restitution
wage gap
Disparity in earnings
- gender gapInequality between sexes
- pay disparityUnequal earnings between groups
- salary gapDifference in worker compensation
racial pay gap · glass ceiling · equal pay · wage discrimination · pay equity · motherhood penalty
- discriminationracism, systemic discrimination, Jim Crow laws, sexism, racial harassment
payment, paying, repay, payable, overpay, underpay, underpaid, underpayment, underpays