The following guest column was written by REBECCA SMITH, Coordinator, National Employment Law Project; HILARY STERN, Executive Director, Casa Latina; and CHAD SMITH, Political Director for District Council 5 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades:

As Thanksgiving approaches, people across the country are coming together to remember those who are struggling to put food on the table because they are victims of a crime wave that few people even talk about.

Today, Nov. 18, is a National Day of Action Against Wage Theft to call attention to the widespread injustices faced by vulnerable workers. It is a timely opportunity to understand the severity of the problem and its pernicious effects, and to come together to work for solutions.

As the economy has soured, more employers appear to be skirting basic workplace protections, including the right to the minimum wage and overtime pay. A recent study of low-wage workers in three major cities found that more than one-quarter of workers surveyed were paid less than the minimum wage in the preceding week, and more than three-quarters were not properly paid overtime. The study also found that these workers lose $56.4 million per week in wage violations.

These violations are not confined to traditional sweatshop industries like big apparel, but are increasingly found in other low-wage, service sector jobs such as hospitality and restaurant services, delivery services, grocery stores, car washes, and retail services. Employees of large businesses aren’t immune from this crime. Staples and Walmart were recently required to pay $42 million and $35 million, respectively, in unpaid wages.

As with other forms of robbery, the costs of wage theft are not borne solely by its victims. Rather, the impact is felt by families, communities, businesses and government.

Imagine that the workers who currently lose $56.4 million dollars per week were actually paid the wages owed them. Given that low-wage workers spend a larger percentage of their pay than more highly paid workers, they would likely spend that money in their local communities, buying goods, supporting businesses and job growth, and making sure their children are safe and healthy. In other words, those stolen wages could be taking care of families and stimulating local economies. Likewise, the reduced payroll hurts government; as payroll and tax revenues decrease, lawmakers are forced to cut spending on public goods and services.

When some businesses engage in wage theft with impunity, it changes the playing field for all businesses. Law-abiding employers are unfairly disadvantaged by businesses that compete by cheating their workers, and such tactics increase pressure on all employers.

This race to the bottom is not surprising given the lack of resources for wage theft enforcement among state and local governments. A recent study found there are only about 660 investigators enforcing state minimum wage and related laws for nearly 100 million workers, or more than 146,000 workers per investigator. With recent state and local government cuts, this enforcement could get even weaker.

Despite the seemingly bleak outlook, we can still ensure that workers have meaningful opportunities to enforce their basic right to be paid for their labor. Those who believe in an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work can come together to strengthen laws against wage theft, hold low-road employers accountable, and support law-abiding employers. At a minimum, we must ensure that state and local enforcement agencies are adequately staffed so that they can pursue offenders and send the message that employers cannot cheat their workers with impunity.

At the same time, we need to close legal loopholes that permit low-road employers to hide behind corporate shells and effectively leave cheated employees without remedy. Plus, we must ensure that workers who assert their rights have adequate protection from retaliation, so they can seek redress without fear of demotion or termination.

Although change is likely to take time given the current economic climate, a struggling economy does not excuse basic failures to pay wages owed for work performed. Putting an end to unlawful and inhumane wage theft is something we can all be thankful for.