Can an employer charge an employee for a register shortage, on a register shared by multiple employees?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can an employer charge an employee for a register shortage, on a register shared by multiple employees?
Asked on December 29, 2012 under Employment Labor Law, Indiana
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
If an employer believes that an employee caused a shortage through his/her negligence (carelessness) or deliberately, the employer can ask the employee for the money. If the employee does not pay, the employer may not withhold the money from his/her paycheck, but could--
1) Sue the employee for the money, if the employer deems it worthwhile; to recover the money, the employer would have to prove in court that the employee caused the shortage.
2) Fire the employee--if the employee does not have a written employment contract, he or she is an employee at will and may be fired at any time, for any reason, including a suspicion that the employee caused the shortage; the employer does not need any proof.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.