Unlawful deduction from wages
Plain-English definitions for England and Wales. General information, not legal advice. Laws and figures change - always check the current position on GOV.UK.
Unlawful deduction from wages Where an employer fails to pay wages that are properly due, or deducts money without a legal right, your written agreement, or a contractual term allowing it. Claims are brought under Part II of the Employment Rights Act 1996.
Also known as: unpaid wages, wage deduction
Related terms
- Notice pay
- Pay for your notice period. There are statutory minimums - broadly one week after a month's service, rising to one week per full year up to a maximum of 12 weeks - and your contract may give more. Not paying proper notice can give rise to a wrongful dismissal or breach-of-contract claim.
- Time limit (limitation period)
- The deadline for bringing a claim. For most employment tribunal claims it is 3 months less 1 day from the event you are complaining about, and you must notify ACAS to start Early Conciliation within that window. Statutory redundancy pay and equal pay claims have a 6-month limit.
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