Justicia Lab, Pro Bono Net’s nonprofit innovation incubator focused on technology solutions for the worker and immigrant rights movement, together with the New York Legal Assistance Group, on Thursday announced the launch of Reclamo AI, a multilingual, mobile-first digital assistant designed to help low-wage and immigrant workers in New York prevent, assess and document workplace violations.
Reclamo was first introduced in 2022 as a tool to screen and file wage theft complaints. The original version was built to support nonlawyer advocates, including worker organizers and staff at worker and employment centers, particularly in the construction and building trades. Since its launch, the tool has been used to file more than $1.5 million in wage theft claims on behalf of workers.
The newly released edition allows workers to access the tool directly through text or voice on any smartphone browser or via WhatsApp. Content is optimized in English and Spanish and is available in an additional 50 languages. The expanded platform now addresses the full scope of New York State employment law and focuses on industries where wage theft is most common, including construction, hospitality, domestic work, retail, and child and elder care services.
“Reclamo AI comes at a moment when workers feel disempowered and we want them to know they have power, a voice and partners to support them,” said Justicia Lab Director Rodrigo Camarena.
By using AI-based tools developed in partnership with worker-centered organizations, Reclamo AI aims to extend access to accurate legal education and resources to a far larger number of low-wage and immigrant workers than traditional systems can reach on their own.
Wage theft remains a widespread national problem and is particularly acute in New York. More than 127,000 New Yorkers have experienced wage theft, collectively losing millions of dollars in earned wages. The impact falls disproportionately on low-wage workers, immigrants, women, and communities of color.
Several factors contribute to the persistence of wage theft, including limited worker knowledge of wage and hour laws, complex and poorly enforced complaint processes, and a shortage of free or low-cost legal assistance. Filing a wage theft claim is often time-consuming and confusing, with forms filled with legal terminology that can be especially difficult for non-English speakers to navigate. As a result, many valid claims are never filed.
Reclamo AI helps workers better understand their rights and available remedies and accelerates their ability to take action. The tool provides education on state and federal wage theft laws, including minimum wage requirements, overtime rules, and illegal deductions. It allows workers to check whether a current or prospective employer has a history of wage theft violations and offers information and connections to pro bono legal services and nonlawyer advocates for further support.
The platform draws on vetted workplace justice materials compiled by NYLAG attorneys, as well as data from Documented NY’s Wage Theft Monitor, which includes more than 35,000 confirmed wage theft claims filed with state and federal labor agencies. Additional proprietary materials developed by Justicia Lab and its partners are also integrated. This approach ensures that workers receive verified legal information from trusted sources rather than unfiltered content from the broader internet.
"There is unlimited need for advocacy support for workers but nearly every legal service organization in New York is overrun with demand,” said Mel González, director of NYLAG’s Employment Law Project. “By embracing AI and other new platforms with technology partners like Justicia Lab that center building worker power, a greater number of low-wage and immigrant workers will be able to receive accurate and timely legal education and resources.”
Reclamo AI was built using a custom application of generative artificial intelligence with privacy and security embedded into its design. User data is stripped of personally identifiable information, anonymized, and deleted every 48 hours. The system relies on enterprise AI models and does not use or share user data for AI retraining. Justicia Lab plans to continue refining the tool by incorporating feedback from workers and advocates into future versions.
