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Unauthorized Deductions Worksheet

Use this worksheet to calculate the amount of pay your employer may owe you, if your employer made deductions from your wages that were not authorized by statue, court order, or by you in writing. Please copy and attach as many worksheets as you need to support your request.

If an employee gives written permission for the employer to make deductions from wages, it is generally not a violation of the Employment Standards Act, 2000. Written permission must refer to a specific amount to be deducted or state the formula for how the specific amount should be calculated.

Employers cannot deduct wages for faulty work, cash shortages, lost or stolen property (when a person other than the employee had access to the cash or property), even with written authorization from the employee.

For more information, call the Employment Standards Information Centre at 1-800-531-5551 or refer to the Your Guide to the Employment Standards Act “Payment of Wages” chapter under the heading “Deductions from Wages and Vacation Pay” on the Ministry of Labour website at www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/pubs/guide/paywage.php

Calculating Unauthorized Deductions
Date of Pay Period
Day/Month/Year		 Gross Wages Earned
(Wage × Hours worked or
or Weekly Pay)		 Why did the employer
make the deduction?
(if you know the reason)		 Amount of
Unauthorized
Deduction







Total Amount Owed

This Worksheet is provided for your information and convenience only. This is not a claim form.
For information on filing a claim, call the Employment Standards Centre at 1-800-531-5551 or visit www.labour.gov.on.ca

Example 1

An employee earns $450.00 per week, and accidentally damages a piece of equipment while working.
The cost of the repair is $250.00 and the employer deducts this amount from the employee’s pay.

The employer owes the employee $250.00 in unpaid wages.

Sample Calculation Based on Example 1
Date of Pay Period
Day/Month/Year		 Gross Wages Earned
(Wage × Hours worked or
or Weekly Pay)		 Why did the employer
make the deduction?
(if known)		 Amount of
Unauthorized
Deduction
From: 2 / May / 2010
To: 8 / May / 2010		 $ 450.00 Week Damage to truck $ 250.00
Total Amount Owed $ 250.00

Example 2

An employee earns $11.00/hour and works a 37.5 hour week. The employer provides a new uniform to the employee and then deducts $10.00 per week for 5 weeks from the employee’s pay cheque to pay for the uniform.

There is no written agreement between the employee and the employer to do this.

Sample Calculation Based on Example 2
Date of Pay Period
Day/Month/Year		 Gross Wages Earned
(Wage × Hours worked or
or Weekly Pay)		 Why did the employer
make the deduction?
(if known)		 Amount of
Unauthorized
Deduction
From: 28 / Mar / 2010
To: 3 / April / 2010		 $ 11.00 x 37.5 hours
= $ 412.50		 Uniform $ 10.00
From: 4 / April / 2010
To: 10/ April / 2010		 $ 11.00 x 37.5 hours
= $ 412.50		 Uniform $ 10.00
From: 11 / April / 2010
To: 17 / April / 2010		 $ 11.00 x 37.5 hours
= $ 412.50		 Uniform $ 10.00
From: 18 / April / 2010
To: 24 / April / 2010		 $ 11.00 x 37.5 hours
= $ 412.50		 Uniform $ 10.00
From: 25 / April / 2010
To: 1 / May / 2010		 $ 11.00 x 37.5 hours
= $ 412.50		 Uniform $ 10.00
Total Amount Owed $ 50.00

This information is provided as a public service. Although we endeavour to ensure that the information is as current and accurate as possible, errors do occasionally occur. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information. Readers should, where possible, verify the information before acting on it.

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