1. An employer shall not withhold or divert any portion of an employee’s wages unless:
a. The employer is required or permitted to do so by state or federal law or by order of a
court of competent jurisdiction; or
b. The employer has written authorization from the employee to so deduct for any lawful
purpose accruing to the benefit of the employee.
2. The following shall not be deducted from an employee’s wages:
a. Cash shortage in a common money till, cash box, or register operated by two or more
employees or by an employee and an employer. However, the employer and a full-time
employee who is the manager of an establishment may agree in writing signed by both
parties that the employee will be responsible for a cash shortage that occurs within forty-five
days prior to the most recent regular payday. Not more than one such agreement shall be in
effect per establishment.
b. Losses due to acceptance by an employee on behalf of the employer of checks which
are subsequently dishonored if the employee has been given the discretion to accept or reject
such checks and the employee does not abuse the discretion given.\n\nTue Dec 09 22:29:31 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 91A (28, 2)
§91A.5, WAGE PAYMENT COLLECTION 4\n\n c. Losses due to breakage, damage to property, default of customer credit, or nonpayment
for goods or services rendered so long as such losses are not attributable to the employee’s
willful or intentional disregard of the employer’s interests.
d. Lost or stolen property, unless the property is equipment specifically assigned to, and
receipt acknowledged in writing by, the employee from whom the deduction is made.
e. Gratuities received by an employee from customers of the employer.
f. Costs of personal protective equipment, other than items of clothing or footwear which
may be used by an employee during nonworking hours, needed to protect an employee from
employment-related hazards, unless provided otherwise in a collective bargaining agreement.
g. Costs of more than twenty dollars for an employee’s relocation to the place of
employment. This paragraph shall apply only to an employer as defined in section 91E.1.
[C77, 79, 81, §91A.5]
90 Acts, ch 1134, §1; 90 Acts, ch 1136, §7, 8
Referred to in §91A.3, 91A.4, 91A.7
\n
Notes of Decisions
Runyon v. Kubota Tractor Corp., 653 N.W.2d 582 (Iowa 2002).
· cites it 32× “Iowa Code section 91A.5, captioned "Deductions from wages," states that the following "shall not be deducted from an employee's wages": Losses due to breakage, damage to property, default of customer credit, or nonpayment for goods or services rendered so long as such losses are…”
Condon Auto Sales & Serv., Inc. v. Crick, 604 N.W.2d 587 (Iowa 2000).
· cites it 10× “See Iowa Code § 91A.5. The Act requires an employer to pay wages at regular intervals, and the amount of wages owed Crick for the last two pay periods was not disputed.”
Salter v. Freight Sales Co., 357 N.W.2d 38 (Iowa Ct. App. 1984).
· cites it 16× “Iowa Code section 91A.5 provides in part: 2. The following shall not be deducted from an employee's wages: * * * * * * c.”
Tegtmeier v. PJ Iowa, L.C., 189 F. Supp. 3d 811 (S.D. Iowa 2016).
· cites it 7× “Te-gtmeier provides no authority to the contrary. Instead, Tegtmeier argues that there is no legal difference between an unpaid expense reimbursement and a deduction, only citing cases addressing the salience of unpaid expense reimbursements in the context of minimwm wage…”
Ferezy v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 755 F. Supp. 2d 1010 (S.D. Iowa 2010).
· cites it 40× “On October 16, 2009, Ferezy brought this lawsuit against Wells Fargo, alleging that Wells Fargo violated the Iowa Wage Collection Act, Iowa Code § 91A.5, by making payroll deductions for contributions to the United Way of Central Iowa, and that Wells Fargo fired Ferezy in…”
Thompto v. Coborn's Inc., 871 F. Supp. 1097 (N.D. Iowa 1994).
· cites it 4× “Iowa Code § 91A.5 provides in pertinent part that 1.”
Dallenbach v. MAPCO Gas Prods., Inc., 459 N.W.2d 483 (Iowa 1990).
· cites it 2× “5, at least in monthly, semimonthly, or biweekly installments on regular paydays which are at consistent intervals from each other and which are designated in advance by the employer. However, if any of these wages due its employees are determined on a commission basis, the…”
Morris v. Conagra Foods, Inc., 435 F. Supp. 2d 887 (N.D. Iowa 2005).
· cites it 4× “He further contends he was constructively discharged because he was not allowed to return to work unless he agreed to reimburse Conagra for the overpayment he received in the form of a deduction out of his paycheck.”
Halverson v. Lincoln Commodities, Inc., 297 N.W.2d 518 (Iowa 1980).
· cites it 3× “Two pertinent sections of the act are as follows: When the employment of an employee is suspended or terminated, the employer shall pay all wages earned, less any lawful deductions specified in section 91A.5 by the employee up to the time of the suspension or termination not…”
Hinshaw v. Ligon Indus., L.L.C., 551 F. Supp. 2d 798 (N.D. Iowa 2008).
· cites it 4× “3(1) states: An employer shall pay all wages due its employees, less any lawful deductions specified in section 91A.5, at least in monthly, semimonthly, or biweekly installments on regular paydays which are at consistent intervals from each other and which are designated in…”
Hubbard v. Des Moines Indep. Cmty. Sch. Dist., 323 N.W.2d 238 (Iowa 1982).
· cites it 4× “isfy a judgment before delivering the money demanded to the Sheriff for disposition, or does that statutory duty devolve upon the garnishor-creditor, or neither? If the duty to give notice to the employee does rest with the garnishee-employer, and such duty is violated, does…”
In re Fedex Ground Package Sys., Inc., 273 F.R.D. 424 (N.D. Ind. 2008).
“Iowa Iowa plaintiffs Tim Johnson and Aaron Ver Steeg, former FedEx Ground pickup and delivery drivers dispatched out of terminals in Iowa, seek certification of a statewide Iowa class under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(b)(2) and (b)(3) to pursue claims for violations of…”
— Iowa Code § 91A.5(1) — 7 cases
Condon Auto Sales & Serv., Inc. v. Crick, 604 N.W.2d 587 (Iowa 2000).
“See Iowa Code § 91A.5. The Act requires an employer to pay wages at regular intervals, and the amount of wages owed Crick for the last two pay periods was not disputed.”
Hubbard v. Des Moines Indep. Cmty. Sch. Dist., 323 N.W.2d 238 (Iowa 1982).
“isfy a judgment before delivering the money demanded to the Sheriff for disposition, or does that statutory duty devolve upon the garnishor-creditor, or neither? If the duty to give notice to the employee does rest with the garnishee-employer, and such duty is violated, does…”
Ferezy v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 755 F. Supp. 2d 1010 (S.D. Iowa 2010).
“On October 16, 2009, Ferezy brought this lawsuit against Wells Fargo, alleging that Wells Fargo violated the Iowa Wage Collection Act, Iowa Code § 91A.5, by making payroll deductions for contributions to the United Way of Central Iowa, and that Wells Fargo fired Ferezy in…”
— Iowa Code § 91A.5(1)(b) — 2 cases
Salter v. Freight Sales Co., 357 N.W.2d 38 (Iowa Ct. App. 1984).
“Iowa Code section 91A.5 provides in part: 2. The following shall not be deducted from an employee's wages: * * * * * * c.”
Ferezy v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 755 F. Supp. 2d 1010 (S.D. Iowa 2010).
“On October 16, 2009, Ferezy brought this lawsuit against Wells Fargo, alleging that Wells Fargo violated the Iowa Wage Collection Act, Iowa Code § 91A.5, by making payroll deductions for contributions to the United Way of Central Iowa, and that Wells Fargo fired Ferezy in…”
— Iowa Code § 91A.5(2) — 1 case
Ferezy v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 755 F. Supp. 2d 1010 (S.D. Iowa 2010).
“On October 16, 2009, Ferezy brought this lawsuit against Wells Fargo, alleging that Wells Fargo violated the Iowa Wage Collection Act, Iowa Code § 91A.5, by making payroll deductions for contributions to the United Way of Central Iowa, and that Wells Fargo fired Ferezy in…”
— Iowa Code § 91A.5(2)(a) — 1 case
Ferezy v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 755 F. Supp. 2d 1010 (S.D. Iowa 2010).
“On October 16, 2009, Ferezy brought this lawsuit against Wells Fargo, alleging that Wells Fargo violated the Iowa Wage Collection Act, Iowa Code § 91A.5, by making payroll deductions for contributions to the United Way of Central Iowa, and that Wells Fargo fired Ferezy in…”
— Iowa Code § 91A.5(2)(c) — 4 cases
Runyon v. Kubota Tractor Corp., 653 N.W.2d 582 (Iowa 2002).
“Iowa Code section 91A.5, captioned "Deductions from wages," states that the following "shall not be deducted from an employee's wages": Losses due to breakage, damage to property, default of customer credit, or nonpayment for goods or services rendered so long as such losses are…”
Salter v. Freight Sales Co., 357 N.W.2d 38 (Iowa Ct. App. 1984).
“Iowa Code section 91A.5 provides in part: 2. The following shall not be deducted from an employee's wages: * * * * * * c.”
— Iowa Code § 91A.5(2)(e) — 2 cases
Runyon v. Kubota Tractor Corp., 653 N.W.2d 582 (Iowa 2002).
“Iowa Code section 91A.5, captioned "Deductions from wages," states that the following "shall not be deducted from an employee's wages": Losses due to breakage, damage to property, default of customer credit, or nonpayment for goods or services rendered so long as such losses are…”
Ferezy v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 755 F. Supp. 2d 1010 (S.D. Iowa 2010).
“On October 16, 2009, Ferezy brought this lawsuit against Wells Fargo, alleging that Wells Fargo violated the Iowa Wage Collection Act, Iowa Code § 91A.5, by making payroll deductions for contributions to the United Way of Central Iowa, and that Wells Fargo fired Ferezy in…”
— Iowa Code § 91A.5(l)(a) — 1 case
Condon Auto Sales & Serv., Inc. v. Crick, 604 N.W.2d 587 (Iowa 2000).
“See Iowa Code § 91A.5. The Act requires an employer to pay wages at regular intervals, and the amount of wages owed Crick for the last two pay periods was not disputed.”
— Iowa Code § 91A.5(l)(b) — 3 cases
Ferezy v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 755 F. Supp. 2d 1010 (S.D. Iowa 2010).
“On October 16, 2009, Ferezy brought this lawsuit against Wells Fargo, alleging that Wells Fargo violated the Iowa Wage Collection Act, Iowa Code § 91A.5, by making payroll deductions for contributions to the United Way of Central Iowa, and that Wells Fargo fired Ferezy in…”
Condon Auto Sales & Serv., Inc. v. Crick, 604 N.W.2d 587 (Iowa 2000).
“See Iowa Code § 91A.5. The Act requires an employer to pay wages at regular intervals, and the amount of wages owed Crick for the last two pay periods was not disputed.”
Salter v. Freight Sales Co., 357 N.W.2d 38 (Iowa Ct. App. 1984).
“Iowa Code section 91A.5 provides in part: 2. The following shall not be deducted from an employee's wages: * * * * * * c.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.