child support & garnishments

J Bunn

We are reviewing our annual raises and we have an employee with two child support orders and two garnishments "waiting in the wings". The garnishment orders come every 60 days and the child support paperwork keeps changing. This is a lot of admin work and constant changes in the payroll. Raises will only be 1% to 2%. Is it a problem if we do not give this employee a raise because of the employer costs of administering these support and garnishments? Thank you.

cebudragonlady

Does the orders for child support and/ or garnishments allow the Employer to deduct $ XXX
for each time payment is made ? If so, make those deductions.

Keep the salary/wage review issue separate from all of this - give the employee the normal raise.

Chari

marc

Agree with cebudragonlady.

LindaS

I believe the law regarding garnishments states that employers do not have the right to "punish" the employee in any way due to garnishments. Holding a raise from an employee would be seen as a punishment. I wouldn't do it.

Crout

I agree with Linda. If your State law is anything like PA you cannot take any adverse action because of the garnishment order.

mwild31

J Bunn - are you a serious poster? If you are - here's my advice - you can't do it. It is illegal in WA to take an adverse action against an employee with garnishment & child support issues. Stop even considering it. I'm unsure whether or not you can charge the employee an administrative fee for the garnishments/child support, but if it's as much of a pain as you describe - then maybe you should research it.

Whatever

Child support orders and garnishments are nobody's business but payroll. They should be kept confidential and therefore cannot be part of any discussion of raises or reviews.