Michael Hiltzik: Businesses keep complaining about shoplifting, but wage theft is a bigger crime

Former Home Depot Chief Executive Bob Nardelli went on Fox Business the other day to warn that a surge in shoplifting by organized gangs showed that America was descending into "a lawless society."

"We've got to get this back under control," Nardelli intoned gloomily, after videos of smash-and-grab teams in retail stores had spooled behind him. "I fear where this is headed."

There isn't much to say about Nardelli's sepulchral comments, other than that he has a hell of a nerve.

Back in June, Nardelli's former company settled a class-action lawsuit with workers alleging widespread wage theft for $72.5 million.

More than 885,000 Home Depot workers were members of the various classes, including those who were locked in their stores off-the-clock following the day's closing shift until a supervisor got around to letting them out. Home Depot didn't admit to the allegations, and said it had settled merely to make the lawsuit go away.

Juxtaposing Nardelli's remarks and the settlement points to the discordance in how we define "crime" in the workplace.