Pay Concerns / U.S. guidance
Wage deductions
A deduction can require more than employer permission.
What does it mean?
A deduction is money withheld from wages. Taxes, benefit contributions, court orders and employer charges are different kinds of deductions with different rules.
What to pay attention to
Under federal rules, employer-benefit costs such as required uniforms or tools generally cannot reduce covered pay below minimum wage or cut into required overtime. State law can impose additional restrictions, authorization requirements or limits on final-pay deductions.
Where to go next
- 1
Keep pay stubs, deduction descriptions and any written authorizations.
- 2
Ask what each deduction covers and how it was calculated.
- 3
Check state deduction rules and ask DOL/WHD or the state agency about federal and state limits.
Sources & dates
CCS content reviewed October 7, 2026. A review date is not a law’s effective date. Where a source has no single effective date, it is labeled as reference guidance. Open the official source for updates.
- U.S. DOL • Fact Sheet 16: Deductions for uniforms and facilities (opens in a new tab)
Guidance revised July 2009; no single effective date for all deductions
- U.S. DOL • State labor offices (opens in a new tab)
Contact directory; no single effective date. Confirm the current state rule with the agency.