Authority For Deductions From Salary

[CW1]

Hi
I've received my contract re a new job and they've included a Authority for Deductions from Salary form they want me to sign.
It authorises them to deduct money from my salary re personal phones calls, staff purchases or personal purchases on company credit cards. The form does say "this might be considered unusual" and I've certainly never come across this before.
Has anyone else, and is it something they can insist on ?
Thanks

[factor-fiction]

If you want to make staff purchases or make purchases suing the company credit card it seems reasonable to me

[factor-fiction]

If you want to make staff purchases or make purchases using the company credit card it seems reasonable to me

[Buenchico]

It sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

The company can hardly be expected to pay for your phone calls to your great aunt in Canada, or for your birthday party in the pub. So they want to ensure that, if such things show up on your phone bill or credit card account, they can get their money back.

The law states that deductions can't normally be made to your pay unless you've agreed to them, in writing, in advance. So the company needs you to sign the form. It's standard practice and shouldn't cause you any great problems (but, of course, it would be best to keep a note of any unusual phone calls or credit card transactions, which might not obviously be 'company business', so that you're ready to answer any queries which might be made about them later).

[CW1]

IF I were ever to do anything like that, maybe. Perhaps. But I never have, and wouldn't start now, but they're presuming I will and then won't repay it. That's how it's coming across to me, lack of trust. Maybe it has actually happened before, I don't know.
But there's just something about this that's doesn't feel right.

[CW1]

Standard practice, Buenchico ? I work for the tightest company I've ever come across at the moment, and even they didn't pull this one !

[factor-fiction]

I assume they require all employees to sign this. They can't only ask employees they don't trust. I'd just sign it or don't take the job if you don't trust them

[Buenchico]

The management at the Royal Mint probably trust all their staff, as do the management of De La Rue (who print our banknotes), but they still put strict security rules in force for everyone (so that they don't have to suggest that one employee is more or less trustworthy than any other). Those rules are simply there for 'contingency purposes' and not a suggestion that their employees are all thieves.

Similarly, supermarkets have strict rules for their checkout staff about how cash is handled. Again they're simply 'exercising due caution' and not 'treating everyone as thieves'.

If your company's financial auditors are any good at their jobs they will INSIST that the type of agreement you refer to is put into place for EVERY employee who has the opportunity to spend the company's money. (Without such agreements the auditors could refuse to approve the company's accounts, or only approve them with a caveat which could damage the company's reputation).

It seems that your new contract is with a company who've 'got their house in order', which should be good news to you and not a cause for concern.

[THECORBYLOON]

You don't need to agree to the condition and by the same token, the employer can refuse to employ you and if you don't want the job, no doubt they'll ask the next best candidate. If you are confident the circumstances will never arise, you'll not be affected by the conditions so what are you worrying about?

[EDDIE51]

I assume they have to inform you if they have taken money and list it on your payslip? As long as they do that I can't see a problem , what would not be acceptable is for them to just pay you short without saying what the deductions were for.

[237SJ]

That was completely normal practice when I had a Corporate card.