22. My employer is deducting money from my wages - what are my rights?
Your employer is only allowed to deduct money from your wages if you have agreed to it in writing or if they are authorized to deduct it by law or under a term in your contract of employment; for example, child maintenance, repayment of a loan, or an official debt like council tax.
If you think your employer is unlawfully deducting money from your wages you should ask them why they are doing it. If you are unhappy with the answer, you should write to your employer asking for payment within seven days. You should tell them in your letter that if you don’t receive payment you will take Employment Tribunal action.
If your employer still doesn’t pay you the deducted money you should make a claim at an Employment Tribunal. To do this you should contact the nearest Employment Tribunal Office who will send you a claim form. You can find out where the nearest office is by calling the Employment Tribunal Enquiry line on 0845 795 9775. You must make the claim within 3 months beginning with the date of payment of wages from which deduction was made.
If you need help dealing with deductions from your wages, or any other aspect of employment, we recommend that you speak to one of our employment advisers on 0845 345 4 345 for specialist advice. Telephone specialist advice is only available if you qualify for legal aid.