Q: is it legal to charge $3 for a product that costs less than that, and multiple times for the same product?
I currently work as a contractor to deliver newspapers. The "distributor", who in a sense acts as the manager, recently changed. This new distributor is charging us contractors $3 for every complaint a customer places, even if they call multiple times in 1 day regarding the same paper. The prices for the papers we deliver are $1-$2 if purchased in a store. Basically, if 1 person calls 7 times to complain about delivery, I would have $21 taken from my pay. This has never happened before until this new distributor came on board. We have never signed contracts for her to do this. Thank you!
A:
Workers may be independent contractors or employees. While the parties' label on the relationship has some bearing, it is not the sole factor and anyone labeled as an independent contractor may wish to evaluate if that classification is accurate.
In a true independent contractor relationship, then the expectations, penalties, etc. should be laid out in an agreement between the parties. If one party violates the contract they might be held in breach and the non-breaching party may have remedies.
In an employee / employer relationship, an employer cannot dock pay without written permission to do so.
While I hope this general information helps it is not a substitute for getting legal advice specific to your situation.
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