Can my employer require me to pay for product that gets broken by me while merchandising items for the job?
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Can my employer require me to pay for product that gets broken by me while merchandising items for the job?
I am paid an hourly wage plus commission. I work in a retail setting and am required to merchandise new items daily. The employer says she cannot write this off and the employees have to pay for any damaged merchandise. I rarely break anything but recently broke a pot and a plastic pumpkin and am being charge for these items.
Asked on November 18, 2011 under Employment Labor Law, Arizona
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
The fact is that an employer can require that the cost of damaged property be paid by its employees. That is unless such a rule violates an employment contract, union agreement, existing company policy or is the result of some form of actionable discrimination.
In an "at will" employment arrangement an employer can impose virtually any terms of employment, etc. that it deems fit; this includes making employees cover the cost of damaged property. For their part, an employee can choose to work for an employer or not.
However, although an employee can be made to pay such damage, an employer cannot deduct any costs from the employee's paycheck (unless it has the prior right to do so as provided in the company handbook or if the employee consented to it).
Bottom line, while there can be no paycheck deduction for this money, you still can be asked to pay it. If you don't then you can be terminated for this (in fact as an at will employee you can be fired for any reason or no reason at all).
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