About 5,200 Marylanders are owed a total of more than $6.8 million in unpaid wages, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Over the last few years, the Department of Labor has “recovered millions” of dollars owed to workers across the country, said Linamarie Martinez, an assistant district director in Maryland.

The money comes from federal investigations and enforcement into workplaces and employers who are not properly paying employees.

Anyone can use the department’s “Workers Owed Wages” or “WOW” tool online to see if the department has money that they’re owed. The tool searches by employer, and then after a worker verifies their name and submits contact information, they can fill out a claim form.

In most cases, a worker will receive a check for earned wages in about six weeks, Martinez said. The money is taxed.

Martinez said that sometimes, when employers are ordered to give back pay, they are unable to find former employees. In those situations, the money sits with the Department of Labor for three years. After that, though, the money is sent to the U.S. Treasury.

That’s why it’s important people check to see if they’re owed anything, Martinez said.

“We have these monies waiting on their behalf,” she said.

In Maryland, there are 5,243 workers owed a total of $6,811,280 in recovered wages. The national labor department’s Wage and Hour Division has recovered more than $1 billion in back wages and damages overall during the Biden administration.

That created “justice and economic relief for more than 615,000 workers,” acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su said in an October statement.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP/WNDU) – All-American point guard Hannah Hidalgo scored 33 points and graduate guard Olivia Miles posted the fifth triple-double of her career as No. 3 Notre Dame (10-2) beat Loyola Maryland (5-5) 97-54 on Sunday.

Hidalgo’s 33 points is two short of her career high. She also had five steals to spark a 20-0 advantage for Notre Dame in fast-break points.

Miles scored 18 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and kicked out 10 assists. She is the only player in the nation averaging at least 17 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists a game.

Liatu King scored 18 points and had 10 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season.

The Fighting Irish, who have now wrapped up non-conference play, are off until Virginia visits South Bend on Dec. 29. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. EST on the ACC Network.

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