Can a retailer hold a sales associate responsible if they received a fake bill?
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Can a retailer hold a sales associate responsible if they received a fake bill?
I work for a fast food chain. Last week, I received a fake hundred dollar bill. It was what was called a wash out it was a real $5 bill that was washed out and had a fake hundred printed on it. I marked it with the bill marker, it did not change colors. However, the store safe did not accept it come to find out it was fake. Can my employer take that hundred dollars out of my paycheck to replace the money that the
store is out?
Asked on March 22, 2017 under Employment Labor Law, Florida
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
An employer may never take money out of a paycheck without the employee's written permission. However, the employee may still be liable for repayment to their employer. It depends. If the employee was at fault in accepting the counterfeit bill because they were either unreasonably careless (i.e. it was a bad fake which the employee should have spotted), then the employee would be liable for the money. If the employee does not voluntarily repay it, the employer could sue though it would not likely be worth its while to do so. On the other hand, if the employee was not at fault (i.e. there was no reason to think it was a forged bill because it was tested, etc.), then the employee should not be liable. That having been said, if the employee does not have an employment contract protecting their job, then their employer could fire them "at will" for any reason or no reason at all.
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