Can an employer

[butterfly22602]

Can an employer take money from your pay check for a layers fee that you did not ask for the employer to hire for you. For instance, there was an accident on company time in a company truck, at the time of the accident there was a charge placed on the employee that would have required a lawyer, the employee was going to ask for a court appointed one. The employer offer to hire a lawyer but at the time never said to the employee this is a loan and i expect you to pay it back, or we will have to set up a payment plan. Several months when past as well as the court hearing, the employee had all charges dropped. The employer was mad about something one day and started verbally harassing the employee, about paying back all the money that was spend on the lawyer, the employee said I did not ask you to hire the lawyer you did that, the employer replied you still need to pay me back, this when on for a few weeks and on day the employee after hearing grief about it if for so long said fine whatever. Nothing more was said until one week in Dec when the employee got his check and $50 had been taken out, when the employee asked the secetary, she said it was for the lawyer. at total at the current time taken out is $150.00, and in the last check the employer but in a payment agreement outlining the payments and wants the employee to sign the agreement and return it before the next pay day on Friday Can this be legal at all

[Pattymd]

Not without a voluntarily (not coerced) agreed to, written authorization from the employee. See Questions 9, 10, and 11 here:
http://www.dli.state.va.us/whatwedo/...powp2_faq.html