Can my job take money out of my paycheck for insurance?

Employment Law Forum
1

I work from home in NJ. My job covered health insurance for me and my daughter for four months. Now they’re saying they only meant to pay for me and want to take money out of my future paychecks to cover what they spent on my daughter. Is this even allowed?

2

Did your daughter actually use the insurance? Like, were there any claims made?

3

Did you add your daughter to the plan yourself? Usually, you’d need to fill out paperwork and provide details like her birthdate and Social Security number. Also, do you have any documents that show how much covering dependents costs? Maybe they just didn’t take enough out of your paycheck.

4

@Afton
I added her right after she was born because they told me to. I never got any info about costs or paperwork after that. I even have written proof that they agreed to cover her. Now it seems they’re trying to backtrack.

5

@Lior
Agreeing to cover her and agreeing to pay for her coverage might be two separate things. Did they clearly say they’d pay the extra cost for her coverage?

6

Afton said:
@Lior
Agreeing to cover her and agreeing to pay for her coverage might be two separate things. Did they clearly say they’d pay the extra cost for her coverage?

Yes, they specifically agreed to pay for her insurance and did so for four months. If they hadn’t, I would’ve looked for another option. Now they’re saying it was a mistake and want me to pay them back by cutting my future paychecks.

7

This doesn’t sound like a wage garnishment. Garnishments need a court order. It sounds more like a payroll adjustment because of an error on their end.

8

Poe said:
This doesn’t sound like a wage garnishment. Garnishments need a court order. It sounds more like a payroll adjustment because of an error on their end.

I get that, but I have written proof where they agreed to cover both me and my daughter. There’s nothing that says I’d have to pay for her coverage. Now they’re just going back on what they said.

9

Technically, yes, they can deduct money as long as it doesn’t push your paycheck below minimum wage. But NJ has some unique laws, so someone familiar with NJ employment law might know more.