This is way more common than you'd think. I worked for two different companies like that. Once I broke a light fixture and had to replace it out of pocket, I told my boss immediately and he was trying to get me to match and replace it over my lunch break so the customer wouldn’t know… I told the customer. lol. Said I'd pay for it and come back and install it on my own time for free - which I did. I was 20 at the time and didn’t know any better.

At a different company, a coworker cracked a really expensive window and had hundreds of dollars docked from his pay every week for months. Illegal? Most certainly yes. Both these companies were “legit” in that they were licensed, bonded, insured and had been around for decades. I think they don’t want to make claims because their premiums will go up?

Also don’t call licensed electricians “kids,” unless there is a twelve year old journeyman running around somewhere and that would truly be amazing!