It's not so much that an employer can "pass" a fine or penalty on to the employee--he can't--but that if the employee did anything deliberately wrong or negligently (carelessly) wrong, which caused the employer a loss, the employer may have the grounds to bring a lawsuit against that employee to recover compensation. An employee does not have immunity for his or her acts; if an employee acts in a wrongful way causing his or her employer a loss, the employee may be liable for it. If the employee was not intentionally or negligently in the wrong, then there would be no grounds for liability however. Also, even if the employee would be liable, the employer cannot simply take the money from the employee (e.g. deduct from wages); instead, if the employee does not voluntarily pay, the employer may, as stated, sue and atttempt to prove his or her case in a court of law.