Payroll deduction for broken equipment

JebusUD

So my girlfriend was sent outside from her job at menards, a place kinda like home depot or Lowes, a hardware store, to cut some wire while carrying the department phone. It starts raining very heavily and the phone got wet. It does not turn on anymore and she was told Menards might deduct 200$ from her paycheck to get a new phone.

Is this legal? Sounds pretty shady to me.

Durandal Infinity

The store itself is probably ensured with the device. Companies can dock pay but I dont think this offense is applicable enough to do so. I'd tell her not to worry about it and see what happens when her next paycheck comes, and make moves from there.

Durandal Infinity

insured rather. God damn it is late and I need an edit button.

JebusUD

Yeah, I dont think anyone said it would happen except the department manager and he is kinda a douche, I gather, so it may or may not actually happen.

I'm more curious of the legality of it at all. I thought these kinds of practices had been outlawed somewhere.

Durandal Infinity

It depends in that tree worth of paperwork that she signed when she applied for the job it probably state repercussions for damaged equipment. Though most do specify malicious

fuelish

In general, in the US, an employer cannot garnish wages(Take money from your paycheck) without a court order. She can contact the Employment Security Commision to see what is what.

Info might be here: http://www.deed.state.mn.us/

JebusUD

Good, I thought garnishing wages was illegal unless the court said so.

I will check that out.

I already told her not to sign anything.