My employee quit and won’t return his uniforms. Can I deduct the cost from his final paycheck?

Other than specific, required paycheck deduction, as much as it might not seem fair, you cannot deduct the cost of uniforms from an employees check. It is not permitted under Oregon Law to deduct anything outside of specific required paycheck deductions, authorized by the statute.

Any missing property such as uniforms, not returned, would need to be pursued as a separate legal matter.

You must know, that the statute explicitly calls out damages, including legal fees, that can be applicable if an employer willfully fails to pay any part of an employee’s final wages when due – up to 8 hours per day, until wages are paid or an action filed – for a maximum of 30 days.

Bottom line: this is an easy penalty for an employee or opposing counsel to collect. Don’t make it easy for them by ignoring the law.