2 replies to this topic

[confused_2345]

Hello,

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I work in Texas and I received tuition reimbursement.  The company policy states that you have to stay for 2 years or pay it back.  First of all, I was not aware of the policy, but realize it is my fault for not looking, but I am now getting married and moving 300 miles away.  I was told I needed to pay back the money, but I can't afford it.  I understand that they can go to court and come after me for the money, but they are threatening to do the following...

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They are going to deduct from my last check and only pay me minimum wage, which would cut my wages by about a third and they are going to withhold my vacation.

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Can they do this? What are my options?

[Fallen]

They aren't entitled to unilaterally deduct money from paychecks unless they have your consent (and we cannot know, given your kinda lackadaisical approach to finer details whether you may have acknowledged giving them that right in the past).  If they do it, you're free to file a wage claim with the state labor dept. 

All that said, given we evidently aren't talking about a ton of money here, however, I don't know that I'd squawk (unless you don't care about job references).  Why?  Because, among other things, they're free to unilaterally cut your pay to min. wage if they please for no reason at all, or even to fire you if you refuse to cough up the dough right away.  (And I don't think Texas is a state that considers earned but unused vacation as earned wages, so you'd be out of luck going after that if they fired you.)

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You don't say how long you've worked there, but I'd propose a pro rata reimbursement to the employer by the way.

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[FindLaw_AHK]

This is an issue you may want to contact the Texas Workforce Commission to address regarding the wage deductions.