If an employer believes that an employee caused a shortage through his/her negligence (carelessness) or deliberately, the employer can ask the employee for the money. If the employee does not pay, the employer may not withhold the money from his/her paycheck, but could--1) Sue the employee for the money, if the employer deems it worthwhile; to recover the money, the employer would have to prove in court that the employee caused the shortage.2) Fire the employee--if the employee does not have a written employment contract, he or she is an employee at will and may be fired at any time, for any reason, including a suspicion that the employee caused the shortage; the employer does not need any proof.