Under federal law, an employer may make certain types of legally authorized deductions from your pay, however, generally the deduction cannot bring your pay below the minimum wage, and laws in your state may offer you even greater protection. Permitted Deductions: Federal law does allow employers to make deductions that do not cut into the federal minimum wage provided the following circumstances are met: The employee actually and voluntarily received the benefit The benefit was not furnished primarily for the benefit or convenience of the employer The benefit was not furnished in violation of any state or federal law The deduction is provided at a reasonable cost The payment of noncash wages is not prohibited by a union agreement The benefit is customarily provided to employees. That is, the item must be provided regularly or similar items must be provided by other employers in similar businesses in comparable geographic locations Examples of permitted deductions might include meals or check cashing, assuming the benefit was received on a voluntary basis. Prohibited Deductions: Benefits that actually work to the convenience of the employer may not be credited against a day laborer's wage. For example, if you offer to arrive at the facility by making your own transportation arrangements, but the employer does not allow this in order to make sure that everyone shows up on time, then the transportation is for the employer's benefit and cannot be credited against the minimum wage. Or if the employer provides transportation so that work-related business or training can start during the trip, you may also be entitled to be paid for travel time. Some employees may value the convenience of being able to eat the employer's food for cost, and may choose to have that cost deducted from their paychecks, but it must be voluntary. Here are some other examples of deductions that may not bring employee wages below the federal minimum wage: Fees for transport (If transportation is part of and necessary to employment,) transportation deductions cannot bring an employee wage below the federal minimum wage. Also, federal courts have held that travel time by day haul workers to and from a recruitment site to fields is generally not compensable in the absence of some work related activity at the recruitment site or during the trip. Essential Tools and Safety Equipment: These items should generally not be deducted from wages as they are regarded as necessary and convenient in order for the employer to lawfully ask his employees to perform he work requested of them. If safety equipment is required under state law, then they are to be regarded as uniforms, which are also not to be deducted from employee pay. Uniform: uniforms are not to be deducted from a worker's wages if they are required by law, the employer, or by the nature of the work performed. For more information, see our site's page on deductions from pay.