GARNISHING WAGES

TROYB

Hello,
I need some help deciding on what should be done. Our company has a fleet of nearly 200 vehicles. We constantly are having problems with property damage or minor vehicle accidents by our drivers. I would like to make a policy that any driver involved in a property damage or vehicle accident will pay up to $1000.00 by payroll deduction.
In order to keep our premiums down we take care of many of these minor incidents ourselves. Thanks in advance.

joannie

How are your drivers paid? Are they regulated by DOT?

TROYB

Hey... thanks for responding.... our drivers are paid hourly and we are regulated by DOT.....

joannie

While as a DOT regulated company you are probably exempt from overtime, you still must comply with FLSA minimum wage requirements for your hourly paid drivers; so you can not make any deductions that would reduce their hourly wage below minimum wage.

In order to make these types of payroll deductions in Oklahoma, if you have a policy addressing repayment of damages, you must have the employee sign a payroll deduction agreement which outlines the types of deductions that can be made. You should check with an employment law attorney in your state to be sure you can do this.

NeedCoffee

We have a policy that all people driving company vehicles must sign (we're an automobile dealership) stating if any damage is done to company vehicles, the driver must pay costs up to $1000.

We've never had a problem enforcing the policy, since all drivers are also insured under the company's automobile insurance...in essence, they are paying a $1000 deductible.