employer wants vacation pay back

[LeAnn74]

My employer forwards all vacation and medical pay to each employee on Jan. 1st of each year. This year I had to have knee surgery in Jan. using up most of my vacation and medical leave. In April I found out I was pregnant and was going to be needing more time off this year. My employer says that if I don't finish out the year I will owe back the vacation time I took in Jan. The handbook doesn't have a termination policy in it at all and it doesn't say that the employee has to reimburse the employer. It actually says very little in the policy at all except that it is forwarded on Jan. 1st of each year. Can my employer payroll deduct from my last check or bill me for benefits already paid?

 

[loku]

The employer can bill you for benefits already paid if that has been its policy in the past. However, if in its past the company has not done this, then it can not do so in your case. It is really a matter of interpreting from all the circumstances what the implied agreement is about the vacation pay.