Being charged for lost equipment in January of 2017

[Jexxe]

What is the name of your state? Florida

I am a subcontractor for Comcast and work for third-party company that does installs in north Florida.
I was recently injured and underwent two surgeries so far for 2 herniated disks in my lower back.
I am on light-duty at the moment receiving 80% of my average hourly wage for the 13 weeks prior to my accident.
While on light-duty presently I received a charge back($1500.00 USD) for a equipment that I lost in January 2017. No one notified me that I was going to be charged at the time and when I brought that up they simply told me that, "The paperwork was lost in someone's desk". I am curious about the laws on the matter because this was unexpected and I am already losing 20% of what I receiving prior to my accident.

 

[xylene]

1. What was the equipment and how did it become lost?

2. Did you sign any documents or polices regarding equipment responsibility?

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Who is paying you the 80%?

Who is charging you for the lost equipment?

 

[Jexxe]

@xylene 1. The equipment was a trilithic meter used to read incoming and outgoing signals for a variety of equipment that Comcast uses.
2. I did not sign anything yet as I wanted legal advice first.

@PayrollHRGuy 1. My employer issues my checks currently. previously it was insurance but now that I was released to do light duty they write me my checks now. 2. Also the employer.

 

[eerelations]

@xylene
2. I did not sign anything yet as I wanted legal advice first.

This is not what Xylene meant. What Xylene meant is have you ever during the course of your employment signed a document that says you are responsible for lost or damaged equipment?

 

[Jexxe]

no however I have signed that I would be charged up to a max of 500$ for any damages that occur. such as auto accident or home accident ie. breaking a water pipe in attic.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

So you are not a subcontractor. You an employee of a subcontractor and it is your employer that want's to charge you for the lost meter, correct?

Unfortunately you are in Florida that has no state laws limiting such deductions and federal law only cares if the deduction in any given week reduces you to lest than the $7.25 per hour federal minimum wage.

 

[eerelations]

So it seems that $500 of the $1500 is legal. (Unless of course the entire chargeback reduced your wages to less than $7.25 per hour for the period the chargeback occurred.) Regarding the remaining $1000, you need to take that I-will-pay-$500 document to a local attorney to see whether or not the additional $500 is legal.