Protection of Wages Law (Amendment No. 32) (Strengthening Enforcement – Deductions from Wages) Bill

What does the bill do?

The bill amends the Wage Protection Law in order to increase enforcement of prohibitions on deductions from employees' wages. It requires that a debt on which a deduction is based be fixed and specific, with details such as the date of the obligation, its source and amount. The bill prohibits employers from deducting or collecting from employees amounts for financial damage resulting from reasonable wear and tear or the ordinary course of work, including cash register shortfalls. In addition, the bill provides that a labor court may award exemplary damages to an employee from whom deductions were knowingly made in violation of the law, and shifts the burden of proof to the employer when no pay slip was provided or the deduction was not stated in it. Similar changes also apply to manpower contractors.