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The employees contended that these delays led the company to discount that time from their salaries, resulting in them receiving less than what was contractually agreed upon.<\/p>\n
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Workers’ Arguments Against Salary Deductions<\/h2>\n
What do employees claim?<\/strong> The workers acknowledged that tardiness is outlined as a sanctionable offense under the company\u2019s collective agreement. However, they argued that a \u00a0salary reduction\u00a0 for lateness is not stipulated. Instead, they asserted that such unpunctuality should lead to alternative forms of warning or compensation, as the agreement governs a specific amount of annual working hours rather than daily attendance. This framework allows the company to request employees to make up for the lost time without penalizing their salary.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The employees further claimed that implementing salary reductions for minor delays constitutes a \u00a0double sanction\u00a0, violating labor laws such as the \u201cFine of having<\/a>.\u201d This type of fine involves deductions from salary and could impact vacation time as well, which is illegal under article 58.3 of the \u00a0Workers Statute\u00a0.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What does the Supreme Court say?<\/strong> The Supreme Court’s ruling affirmed the company’s stance based on article 26.1 of the Workers’ Statute, which states that \u201cthe entirety of the economic perceptions that workers receive for their professional services shall be considered salary, including effective work or computable rest periods.\u201d This means that salary compensations are tied directly to the effective work completed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Supreme Court clarified that salary is not accrued during periods when the employee fails to provide labor services without justification attributable to the company. Thus, if an employee is late without a valid reason, the company is not obligated to pay for the time not worked. This clarification distinguishes between legitimate deductions for not working versus unjust penalties.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This ruling also specifies that the \u201cfine of having\u201d applies only in cases where the salary has been reduced despite the worker’s eligibility. In this instance, the court asserted that the company is not required to compensate for hours not worked and therefore cannot impose penalties for unworked time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Potential Consequences for Employees:<\/strong> The ruling emphasizes that while employers cannot reduce pay for unworked hours, repeated violations of the \u00a0employment contract\u00a0 may lead to disciplinary actions, including possible dismissal. In short, the court affirmed that while employees have a right to fair compensation, consistent tardiness or failure to meet hours can result in consequences for their employment status.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Supreme Court’s ruling reinforces the notion that there are clear legal boundaries regarding salary deductions for lateness while also outlining the potential repercussions for employees who fail to adhere to their contractual obligations. As labor laws evolve, maintaining a balance between fair compensation and accountability remains paramount in the workplace.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Image credit: Flickr (Kris Arnold<\/a>), Unsplash (MUSEMIND UX AGENCY<\/a>)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1751443967_386_Some-employees-sued-their-company-for-reducing-their-salaries-The.jpeg\"\/)
\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nSupreme Court’s Ruling<\/h2>\n
Further Implications of the Ruling<\/h2>\n