Oh no! A cash shortage!

Have you ever experienced a cash shortage?

Does this sound familiar: after a busy and long day, you balanced the till and found that there was a cash shortage. Or, guests who left without paying. What now? Can your employer deduct the shortage from your salary?

No, your employer cannot simply deduct your salary to compensate. A cash shortage is very inconvenient, but it does not always mean that your employer can Card these costs onto you. Your employer runs a business, and there are risks associated with that.

Business risk
This is what we call business risks. The cash shortage falls under business risk. Your employer can only charge you for a business risk if they can prove that you did it intentionally or that there was deliberate recklessness. This regulation is stated in the law.

Proof
Before your employer can Card business risks like the cash shortage onto you, they must prove intent or deliberate recklessness. For intent, they must show that you had a plan to cause the cash shortage. For deliberate recklessness, your employer must be able to prove that you knew your actions could cause a cash shortage, but you did it anyway.

Still responsible
Furthermore, it may be that the circumstances of the case determine that you are still responsible for the cash shortage that occurred. This must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.