Be Careful When You Deduct for Lost Equipment From An Employee's Pay
With the proliferation in the use of technology in the workplace, it is not uncommon for employees to be issued thousands of dollars worth of equipment. Typically, when the employee leave and the equipment is either not returned or is returned in poor condition, many employers want to deduct the value of the equipment from the employee's last check. I've been advising people for years on the perils of doing this (illegal wage deductions, etc., etc.). The US Department of Labor has made available one its Opinion Letters on Improper Wage Deductions. Use it to convince your managers not to do this.
The DOL posts its Opinion Letters on their website. They can be found by following this link: Department of Labor FLSA Opinion Letters. Read to your heart's content!