What Items Can be Deducted from California Paychecks?
An employer may deduct an expense from an employee’s paycheck only if it is expressly allowed by federal or state law, or by a collective bargaining agreement.
An employer may also deduct health insurance premiums and similar costs (for example, contributions to a 401k account), but only if the employee authorizes the deduction in writing. Otherwise, employers may not take deductions, even if the employee owes the employer money.
If an employer loans or advances money to an employee, the employer may deduct regular payments on that loan from the employee’s paycheck. However, the employee must agree to these deductions in writing. And, the employer may not deduct a “balloon payment” of the balance of the loan, even if the employee agrees to such a condition in writing.
David Payab, Esq. from The Law Offices of Payab & Associates can be reached @ (800) 401-4466 or by visiting http://payablaw.com
