Charged for Physical After Quitting Job

Question
I took a job at a company in January as a security system technician. I have nine years in this field, so I know what I'm doing. I accepted this job on the premise that I would be given plenty of overtime and a pay raise after 60 days. There were also two other companies that I was accepted to. I took the drug test, physical, and they did the background check, then I began work.

Well, there was no raise, even after repeated visits directly to the owner's office. On top of that, I was lucky to get eight hours a day, let alone any overtime. The company had a terribly slow workload, and I was never made aware of this.

Naturally, I began looking for a more lucrative job, which I found in June. I didn't work out a notice, which is actually pretty common in the security business. When I received my final pay stub in the mail, I found out that they had deducted $145.00 for the physical that I was required to have prior to employment. Nowhere did I sign any document stating that I was financially responsible for a mandatory physical, nor was I ever told that I would have to pay for it if I ever quit my job.

My basic question is: can they do this legally, and if not, what are my next steps? I talked to a former employee who had over $500 held from his final check, listed on his stub as 'insurance', which was deducted from every check in the first place. I want to know what these guys are up to, and if there's anything I can do to get my money. Thanks, and I look forward to your reply.
Ed

Answer
by Alexander Kjerulf, Chief Happiness Officer

Dear Ed
I agree totally with you that this company has treated you unfairly, and I commend you for going out and finding yourself a better job. That's the way to do it: Fix it where you are or move on to a better place.

As for the $145, here's my advice to you: Ask the company if this is a mistake, and if so, ask for your money back.

And here's the crucial part: If they refuse, just let it go! I have no idea whether what they've done is legal or not, but I can tell you that the fight to get that money back may drag out and cause you a lot of frustration. It's not worth it over a piddling $145.

You could, of course, take a stand over the principle of it, but in my experience, you'd do better to just forget about it, move on and enjoy your new job.

This advice relies on one of those skills we don't often focus on or learn: The skill of letting go. Without this skill, we're forced to fight every battle, to address every injustice, and to right every wrong ever done us, which can get pretty exhausting in the end.