Can Your Boss Legally Dock Your Pay In Massachusetts?

We've all heard the saying before from that boss who has a good sense of humor. "You're late, I'm going to have dock your pay this week." We all use that saying from time-to-time as in inside joke. But what if this was actually serious?

Can you legally lose pay if you're late?

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I can tell you right now, I personally haven't seen it happen and here at Townsquare Media Berkshire it never happens because according to mass.gov, no employer can deduct money from a worker’s pay unless the law allows it such as wage withholding taxes for example, or if the worker asked for a deduction to be made for his or her own benefit such as to setting money aside in that worker's savings account.

Employers cannot take money from a worker's pay for the employer’s ordinary business costs such as supplies like toilet paper, pens, coffee k-cups, or hand sanitizer. This law also limits when and how much money an employer can take from a worker's pay for housing and meals the employer gives to the worker. And, an employer who requires a worker to buy or rent a uniform must pay for the uniform, or promptly refund the actual costs to the worker like when you work at Dunkin' for example.

Another good example is if a worker quits their job, Massachusetts state law requires for them to be paid in full on the next regular payday or by the first Saturday after they quit (if there is no regular payday). Workers who are also fired or laid off must be paid in full on their last day of work.