He has actually left his job, it turns out. This old note thing was the last straw for him. We didn't get any employee handbook or welcome pack or anything when we started - at this store they just throw us in at the deep end and have us shadow whoever is on shift at the time - I have been completely surprised sometimes by my manager coming up to me with a new recruit and they've just said "train her" (even when I was still on my probationary period as a crew member, and am not in a position or earning the wage of a crew trainer). Basically, we get absolutely nothing from them I've already reported one of the managers for fraud for changing my timesheets and docking my wages without my knowledge. Regarding the NMW thing, I read that they cannot deduct more than 10% from a pay check, but does that "debt" roll over to the next pay day etc. until its cleared, or is it meant to be written off? I ask as I've read that the employer can deduct more than the 10% from the final pay check if the employee leaves the company. Who should I contact about getting my sick pay too? This information is all very helpful

Thanks for the replies - I've passed this info on to him Yes, the deductions are taking the pay below NMW. I have had my pay deducted on a few occasions when my till was down, which has also dropped it below NMW. Is this illegal as well? (As we all earn NMW, any deductions at all will take us below it). When they want to deduct our wages, they do have us sign a form to give them permission to do so, so the act of deducting itself is legal, but I don't think the amount or the reasons are. I hadn't been aware of the 10% limit either - this will definitely be helpful for my friend, since he definitely did not earn £500 in 2 weeks when they docked him £50!

Hi, I work in McDonalds and a colleague of mine had £20 of his wages docked. He is a cashier and when his till was being counted at the end of his shift, the manager found an old £20 and told him that we don't accept them, so it would come out of his wages. Nobody had told him this in the month or two he'd been there, he's only 17 and fresh out of school, so they can't reasonably have expected him to be savvy with these things (I didn't know they weren't accepted either). Another thing that bothers me is that they took his wage, but also kept the £20 that they "didn't accept". Surely if it was worth nothing they would let him have it? And if they kept it, were they not implicitly "accepting"? This does not seem right to me, so I wanted to know if anyone knew the employees rights in this case. I am suspicious because McDonalds employees are always waging an ongoing battle to get their pay. Most of our managers will always find any excuse to dock us, and even fabricate them completely to the naive younger employees who don't know their rights (I have seen them intimidate/pressure the younger employees into signing away their wages with absolutely no evidence e.g. "Oh, your till was actually down £10 yesterday, sign pls"). I've even seen this particular employee lose over £50 in a week because of his till being down. Considering that the managers count the tills, without explaining how they arrive at their conclusions, I don't think anyone can be so bad as to lose £30 from a till in one shift. Sorry, I realise I'm digressing - just to reiterate, my question is, can they dock his wages for accepting an old note, whilst keeping that old note (I have no idea if there is any bank that would exchange them?), and having never told him that they didn't accept it? Thanks