Q: Can an employer not pay you for hours you’ve already worked, because they feel as if the job wasn’t done properly?
I have a friend who works at an animal hospital and her job is to clean and care for the animals. She’s been left a couple notes regarding her cleaning in the past week, and now today her boss is telling her that she’s not getting paid for the work she’s been doing because they feel as though the work (cleaning) was not done properly. Are they allowed to do this?
A: She should discuss all of the facts with an attorney but in general an employer cannot refuse to pay an employee simply because the employer is not satisfied with the quality of the work.
A: I agree with Mr. Eisenberg. Typically, an employer must pay an employee for all hours worked and cannot make deductions based on the quality of the work. However, if the deducted pay still keeps her above the minimum wage rate (calculated by dividing her total compensation by the hours worked for that week) in your state, she will not be able to recover from a legal standpoint. Please reach out to an Employment Law Attorney for a full evaluation.
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