can a employer legally hold my pay check

for being late to a meeting?

Unless you signed something that says they can, then no.

i am a payroll accountant and have been for close to 15 years, the FLSA states that a company cannot legally hold your paycheck you must be paid for all the time you have worked.

threaten him with the department of labor and then file an unpaid wages statement with them.


Wages required by FLSA are due on the regular payday for the pay period covered. Deductions made from wages for such items as cash or merchandise shortages, employer-required uniforms, and tools of the trade, are not legal to the extent that they reduce the wages of employees below the minimum rate required by FLSA or reduce the amount of overtime pay due under FLSA.

Well I was a bookkeeper and a few companies I used to work with did in fact hold employee's paychecks. Usually when someone quits and that employee did not call them to tell them so...also they have held the checks because the employee did not turn in some equipment that was issued to them...I believe they can hold your paycheck for up to 2 weeks...at least that is what the companies told me when I questioned this. Doesn't seem right to me though...

Well I was a bookkeeper and a few companies I used to work with did in fact hold employee's paychecks. Usually when someone quits and that employee did not call them to tell them so...also they have held the checks because the employee did not turn in some equipment that was issued to them...I believe they can hold your paycheck for up to 2 weeks...at least that is what the companies told me when I questioned this. Doesn't seem right to me though...






I was also a bookkeeper for many years in California. If an employee quits and doesn't return equipment the cost of the equipment should be taken out of last check. Then company either holds check for pick-up or employee can request they mail it.

If a person is fired the check must be ready at the time of firing.

In the OP's case they can not hold the check. He/she can call labor board and for every day that check is delayed beyond the regular pay day the employer is charged a penalty which is paid to the employee. The penalty adds up. I have known of employees getting more than twice their regular pay amount on top of their regular pay.

can a employer legally hold my pay check

for being late to a meeting?

for being late to a meeting?