Can I be charged for being late?
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Can I be charged for being late?
My boss informed his employees that he was going to start charging us $1.00 per minute if we are late. Is this legal and how can I fight it if not?
Asked on January 25, 2011 under Employment Labor Law, Alabama
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
Believe it or not, this action is legal. In Al, as well as most states, employment arrangements are typically known as "at will". This means that an employee can work for an employer or not; it's their choice. Conversely, an employer can hire or fire someone for any or no reason, as well has increase/decrease salary/hours, promote/demote, and generally impose requirements as they see fit. This included charging employees when they are late.
The exceptions to the above would be if there is a stated company policy contrary this, or there is a union/employment agreement that does not allow for such action, or this situation has arisen due to some type of discrimination (i.e., for reasons due to your race, religion, age, disability, sex, national origin).
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