My last check from a previous employer may have been garnished.
employment attorney New York Aug 16, 2026
Location: Texas, USA My last job was full-time (40 hrs/week) and work-from-home. I provided proper notice and remained in compliance for the entirety. The last shift I worked was on the final day of the pay-period so I should've been paid for a full two weeks (80hrs). Before I was able to clock out at the end of my last shift my access to company resources was removed. I informed my supervisor of the issue but they stated it wouldn't be of any concern. Fast forward to payday and my paycheck is short 75% of my take-home pay. I have not received ANY information at all as to what entity withheld any pay and/or for what reason(s). I immediately reviewed my paystub and the hours are correct as well as the intended final pay amount. However, the deposit amount listed vs the actual depost was short 75%. I contacted my previous supervisor and informed them of the issue. They sent an email to HR and copied me on it. I thought maybe my provided work-from-home laptop could be preventing my final pay from being distributed. I informed my supe and HR in the email that I have not received any emails, mail, packaging, or otherwise to determine how to return the laptop. It has now been over 14 days and there has been no progress on the e-mail chain with HR. I checked the payroll app and no additional checks have been cut. Somewhere between the Payroll provider and the Bank I lost money. I doublechecked my balances prior to the deposits (it distributes into multiple accounts) to make sure I wasn't missing a payment clearning that would've adjusted my account balance but they all show accurate. The deposit was only a portion of what's on the final paycheck statement. I don't know what to do at this point as I'm not sure which party is to blame here. I am missing regular payments to some debtors over this issue which is further complicating the process. It will be a few weeks before I receive anything from my new employer. Is the proper route to file a Wage Claim with the local state Workforce? or should I be persuing other options? edit: I worked from home in Texas but my previous employer's main office is in New York.
