Company seeks to deduct stimulus amount from paychecks

[Deleted]

IF TRUE, this will be very interesting to follow.  I can't imagine any company that stupid, but who knows  


www.iheart.com/content/2020-03-28-texas-company-wants-to-dock-paychecks-of-workers-who-receive-stimulus-check/

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Bastards.

[busymom]

I hope the name of whatever company this is gets out.  They don't deserve ANYONE to be their customer.  Talk about taking advantage of a bad situation.  

[Lizard Queen]

Somebody in the comments is saying it is imagenet consulting.

[teen persuasion]

That company has idiots at the helm.

The stimulus checks are advances on a tax credit on next year's tax return. I've never heard of an employer cutting your pay for a credit you might receive.

They also have no way of knowing if married employees will or won't receive an advance check, because they don't know family AGI (the other spouse's earnings, SS, interest, dividends, etc.).

They are obviously also ignoring the many free benefits they could get from the CARES act as the business owner based on payroll actually paid - employee retention program, forgiven PPP loans, etc. Some of those are 2.5 x payroll!

[Deleted]

I can't imagine that this would be legal even in Texas where employment laws are biased against workers.  It makes no more sense legally than saying, "You inherited $$ from granny so you have to work for free now".  Salaries/wages are compensation for work performed and I don't see how you can tie those $$ to other income such as government stimulus checks.  Head of company must be a seriously stupid individual to risk the negative image and the inevitable court challenges.  

[Deleted]

Mar 30, 2020 11:09:11 GMT -5 @donethat said:

I can't imagine that this would be legal even in Texas where employment laws are biased against workers.  It makes no more sense legally than saying, "You inherited $$ from granny so you have to work for free now".  Salaries/wages are compensation for work performed and I don't see how you can tie those $$ to other income such as government stimulus checks.  Head of company must be a seriously stupid individual to risk the negative image and the inevitable court challenges.  

I was thinking the same thing.  How could they NOT get government pushback on this?  They aren't giving out the checks so employers can cut wages.

[bobosensei]

How would the company really know who gets the money?  Even for their single employees they don't know who might have other income coming in that puts them over the AGI.  They certainly won't know for the married ones with a working spouse.

[Miss Tequila]

I only see this reported on two sites, neither of which I have ever heard of.  The article doesn't even list the company name.  I think this is one of those stories told to rile people up.


If it is actually true, it would most likely violate the minimum wage laws. 

[hoops902]

Great journalism.  "Unnamed employee at an unnamed company says they are doing something dumb".

[teen persuasion]

Fox news is covering it: Texas company deducts stimulus

[Deleted]

Mar 30, 2020 11:21:38 GMT -5 bobosensei said:

How would the company really know who gets the money?  Even for their single employees they don't know who might have other income coming in that puts them over the AGI.  They certainly won't know for the married ones with a working spouse.

Good point!  

[Deleted]

Mar 30, 2020 11:22:58 GMT -5 Miss Tequila said:

I only see this reported on two sites, neither of which I have ever heard of.  The article doesn't even list the company name.  I think this is one of those stories told to rile people up.


If it is actually true, it would most likely violate the minimum wage laws. 

That's why I did the all-cap "IF TRUE".  I suspect disgruntled employee.  But there are some really awful employers out there too.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Stuff like this was being brought up last week at Ask a Manager dot org.  Apparently, there are a LOT of companies thinking about doing this. 

[Deleted]

Mar 30, 2020 13:45:42 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

Stuff like this was being brought up last week at Ask a Manager dot org.  Apparently, there are a LOT of companies thinking about doing this. 

That's sad and I still suspect, highly illegal.  

[Artemis Windsong]

Someone knows someone who knows someone close to or working for that company.  Verification  is needed.

[thyme4change]

My company is cutting hours and workers in a way that workers will be at 80% ish, given aid/unemplyment available to them and the stimulus check. This company wasn't as clever as we were, apparently.

[Gardening Grandma]

According to this, the television station has a copy of the letter.  If it's true, I image the name will be forthcoming.


"Texas is an “at-will” employment state, meaning the company can fire employees for any reason or no reason, so long as the termination isn’t due to gender, race, religion, sexuality or some other protected class. Thus, it appears to me (an attorney that hasn’t studied this) that the company wants to set-up a scenario whereby employees fear for their jobs if they do not sign the form, giving up the amount of their stimulus check, and the company then turns to say that the agreement was “voluntary.” A Texas labor law attorney interviewed in the report doubted its legality"

www.politicalflare.com/2020/03/report-texas-company-wants-to-deduct-employees-stimulus-check-from-paycheck/

[hoops902]

Mar 30, 2020 13:49:51 GMT -5 Gardening Grandma said:

According to this, the television station has a copy of the letter.  If it's true, I image the name will be forthcoming.


"Texas is an “at-will” employment state, meaning the company can fire employees for any reason or no reason, so long as the termination isn’t due to gender, race, religion, sexuality or some other protected class. Thus, it appears to me (an attorney that hasn’t studied this) that the company wants to set-up a scenario whereby employees fear for their jobs if they do not sign the form, giving up the amount of their stimulus check, and the company then turns to say that the agreement was “voluntary.” A Texas labor law attorney interviewed in the report doubted its legality"

www.politicalflare.com/2020/03/report-texas-company-wants-to-deduct-employees-stimulus-check-from-paycheck/

There are still things you can't voluntarily waive...for example...minimum wage.

[Lizard Queen]

Hello?  Is this thing on?  When you don't get enough information in an article, go down to the comments:

www.thelostogle.com/2020/03/29/imagenet-consulating-stimulus-payment/?fbclid=IwAR0A7G89ktYPVJ7PuJNzr5svv2lAIbyBsjsWxWe0uRyKjEsL819PzlNiV6o

This may be true, or not, same as the original article, but I usually find more information from people in the comments section. Probably my local newspaper site got rid of their comments option altogether.