Can I have my wages withheld/deducted from due to a bounced check that someone wrote the business?
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Can I have my wages withheld/deducted from due to a bounced check that someone wrote the business?
I work for a liquor and tobacco store with 40 employees. About 10 days ago I had a customer write a check that was returned for insufficient funds. I got the customers license number, birth date, expiration date, phone number. I failed to get a physical address. There was a PO address on the check. My employer is telling me that since I failed to get a physical address that I am responsible for the check and the bank fee of $25. For a total of $52. They stated on my written notice with a copy of the check that I had 2 weeks to collect or it will be withheld from my check.
Asked on July 14, 2011 under Employment Labor Law, Arkansas
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
A deduction such as this is not legally allowed. The fact is that payroll deductions arbitrarily made my an employer are done so in violation of the law. That is unless there is existing company policy allowing for this (and of which the employee is aware and consents to) or if there exits a union/employment contract that permits this.
Note: An employee an "at will" can be fired for no reason or any reason whatsoever. So you may just want to work things out with your employer.
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