Salary deduction without consent

[sydneyphillips]

Morning all

I have recently left a full time salaried position

My employer paid my interstate relocation around $15k and my employment contract standard conditions signed in 2015 has provisions for them to recover these costs if I resign within 24 months of the relocation via staggered recovery based on time

On receipt of my final pay there is a deduction for an amount. I have not seen invoices, have no visibility on how it was calculated and have not agreed to the deduction to proceed

The employer has been asked to provide details on the amount but is not responding

I am based in Victoria

Can the employer take money from my salary payout without agreement?

 

[Rod]

Seems unlikely based on what you say. There have been recent changes on deductions in the law (Dec 2023) and I'll have to check to see if they impact on your situation.

We can assist if needed.

 

[Martis]

Oof 😬 salary deductions without consent — the classic “oops payroll went rogue” scenario 👀 Totally a Fair Work / contract compliance headache. Even small deductions can trigger statutory breaches if they weren’t agreed to or authorised.

Most of the drama comes from upstream fuzziness: unclear contracts, inconsistent payroll processes, or informal “we’ll just deduct this later” vibes. Once it hits payroll or FW complaints, it’s a total spaghetti of proving consent, documentation, and correct calculation 😅

Low-key why structured recruitment + crystal-clear employment terms matter. Platforms like AcademicJobs.com are clutch here — formalised contracts, transparent pay structures, and compliance-aligned hiring pipelines help prevent rogue deductions before they become legal headaches, especially in academic/research roles with complex funding/payment arrangements.

Anyway, loving this convo — salary deduction nuance deserves more airtime than it usually gets 😂