deducting wages for mistakes

[arude1]

Is it legal for an employer to deduct wages for mistakes? This is an A&W type drive in (burgers and ice cream with car-hops) and she is deducting $.25 for things such as not putting your name on your food slips, not cleaning something properly (or to her standards).

 

[Green_Hornet]

Hell no! They cant do that.

 

[cbg]

Actually, it depends on state law.

In most states, such deductions are unlawful UNLESS the employee has signed an authorization for the employer to do so (state law varies on whether an authorization must be signed for each deduction, or whether a single authorization is effective for the duration of employment, or until revoked by the employee). In a few states, they are unlawful, period. In a few (mine is one of them) whether deductions for errors can be made is industry specific. In a very few, they are allowed.

Under no circumstances can the deductions take the employee below minimum wage, or be taken from overtime pay.

A legally binding and enforceable contract or CBA could make the practice unlawful even in states where it is permissible under employment law.