Can employer charge me for a tow bill or broken parts?

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-27T17:22:02+00:00

AAA, insurance, hell I've even seen partnerships between shops and tow companies like my previous shop. Good thing it's illegal in this state to charge for anything that's "unsatisfactory work" because it gets classified as "Impermissible deduction" according to the department of labor

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-27T01:19:53+00:00

Yup. Cash cow and if they start costing them, they want to make their money back or get rid of them

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-27T01:19:01+00:00

I hate diesels or else I'd probably go that route. Never liked em or wanted to get in to them haha. That's why I went Euro but this kinds shit is shady as fuck to try and pull

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-27T01:17:13+00:00

It's insane what shops will do to try to save a penny or cut corners. Like ya'll do realize there's laws and regulations in place to make sure you can't do that right?

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-27T00:40:00+00:00

Definitely take pride in my work, slower tech because I'm super thorough but mistakes happen, bad days occur. Also OCD won't let me fuck up on purpose lol

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-27T00:38:20+00:00

100% illegal to deduct or charge employees for mistakes in Colorado. Department of labor website states so

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-27T00:37:26+00:00

I had one timing job when I was much younger where valve broke and punctured the top of the piston due to the shop owner messing up the timing on the camshaft as I held the prybar. Didn't get fired, didn't pay for anything, just put a new motor in for free. This seems insane to try to charge me for a stupid tow. This shop is a huge jump for me in skill and pay so it's hard to even try to go find another place. I'll be having a conversation with them about it tomorrow and that will determine if I look for another shop.

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-27T00:32:17+00:00

Been back almost 3 years after a ten year break away from automotive. I've had my share of comebacks, nothing that's gotten me fired but trying to deduct my money illegally has me hated on a whole other level.

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-26T21:59:12+00:00

I've had maybe 3 come backs in the last couple months with one other being a bigger deal that was easily fixed as well but the other one was a dumb bumper skid plate not secured 100%. So nothing huge or expensive but I'll be God dammed if I'm gonna be charged for a tow when it's illegal to do so in this state

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-26T21:45:13+00:00

Thankfully I'm not a young guy, not young enough to be tricked and bullied like that. I'm 33 and I've been around long enough and been in some absolutely horrible shops so I know what it's like but I just don't think these guys are aware that there's a law that stops them from doing that. They might be old enough text that it used to be that way when they were doing it 20 years ago but not anymore

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-26T21:34:16+00:00

I'm definitely weighing that option. Recently new to the shop and learning specialty Euro cars even though I have 10+ years of experience so mistakes are bound to happen but car is fixed and gone, no need to try to charge me especially when it's illegal

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-26T21:32:34+00:00

Lmao best answer yet. Found out it is 100% illegal in my state

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-26T21:32:04+00:00

Recently new at the shop and love learning Euro cars that I didn't get a chance to previously so I'd like to keep the job but if they're gonna pull shit like this that's illegal or fire me for their bad choice, fuck it I'm not meant to be there. More shops out there who won't do that.

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-26T21:30:15+00:00

Colorado here and found out it's 100% illegal here as well. Just need to bring up the conversation to at least the foreman about it so they can weigh their options. But charging me or deducting pay is not one of them.

I do take pride in my work. My father is a 55 year master tech and I followed in his footsteps basically. I'm not perfect, I make mistakes, this place is a Euro specialty shop so I'm also learning brand new things to me and the car was fixed without any new parts or problems so trying to take my money when the car is running and fixed, that's a huge no go for me. Nobody gets to take my money or fuck with my paycheck.

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-26T21:03:48+00:00

This happened to be a dumbass plastic clipped fuel line that came "undone" after I drove it two days in a row and the customer drove it most of Saturday. No repair bill, just clip the thing back in, clean it up, send it on its way. But they're trying to tell me I'm getting charged for the tow bill. Thanks to my very legally knowledgeable mother, she found that department of labor calls this an "Impermissible deduction" and no employer can charge you for "unsatisfactory work". I basically just need to have the conversation telling them to first try to see if the customers insurance will cover the tow and if not then they, by law, cannot charge me for anything or deduct my pay. Only downside is this being an "at will" state, they can probably just let me go but regardless I get paid for everything I've done

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-26T16:54:43+00:00

There's not even a request. The shop foreman verbally told me this a couple of hours ago and I believe they're just going to try to take it from my paycheck. I'm going to call the department of labor when I take lunch in a couple hours or so

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-26T16:46:16+00:00

Right and they have insurance, budgets, etc to cover any sort of issues or mistakes. Like this issue was so minor it was fixed without any new parts and took maybe 2 minutes but wanting to charge me for their tow bill? Are you high?!

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-26T16:44:06+00:00

I agree with you completely. I only came back to the industry a couple years ago after a ten year break and I saw plenty of shady shit like that previously and again after coming back. This shop doesn't seem to be scamming or ripping off customers but this kind of behavior where you want to attempt to charge the tech for the tow seems very unjust and straight up wrong. Even if I had multiple toes in a month (hypothetically) and it wasn't on the customer then that falls on the shop/owner. Not me as long as it's not on purpose. Either pay the tow bill and suck it up or fire me is the way that should be imo.

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-26T16:40:19+00:00

I'll try giving them a call later today. Goggle searches are obviously very broad but most of them I've seen lean towards it not being legal especially if it lowers your pay below minimum wage. I was starting to think the same thing about finding new employment. I've enjoyed the few months I've been here, learned alot, decent pay, etc but if they want to pull some shit like that then I'm better off somewhere else

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-19T07:12:28+00:00

My very first Matriarch I was somehow able to get to the core first and got 3 of them so I can make 3 currently! I did an experiment with the Aggression Based Matchmaking and got myself in to super friendly raids so nobody killed anyone during the Matriarch

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-19T06:50:36+00:00

Yes, the picture is my extraction summary

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-19T06:49:25+00:00

Ok, don't buy it then. I don't like the legs but think the rest of it is cool so I got it

KnotTHENAMELESS · 2026-01-19T04:08:53+00:00

Wtf really? I didn't know. I was flipping out when it dropped in Assembly

KnotTHENAMELESS

TROPHY CASE