Unpaid Wages and Employer Responsibility: An Islamic Legal-Ethical Analysis

This paper explores the ethical and legal responsibilities of employers who delay or deny wages despite having the financial means to pay, focusing on Islamic jurisprudence and ethical teachings.Using a qualitative doctrinal approach, it analyzes Qur'anic verses, prophetic traditions, classical tafsr, and fiqh texts, alongside contemporary scholarly views.The findings reveal that wage denial constitutes a form of ulm (oppression) and a breach of amnah (trust), directly violating the objectives of Islamic law (maqid al-sharah) such as the protection of wealth, life, and workers' rights.The paper highlights the lack of ethical integration in current corporate human resource practices and calls for a transformation grounded in Shariah-based principles.It proposes a practical governance model that includes Islamic payroll systems, ethical audits, and leadership accountability rooted in taqw (Godconsciousness), aiming to restore justice and dignity for workers.