Wage Information

Policy

The University will honor all legally served wage summons as required by law. It is the employee's personal responsibility to keep financial affairs in order, and the University may subject employees with multiple cases to progressive discipline. The University will not honor voluntary wage deductions agreed upon by an employee and creditor.

Legal Restrictions

Under the Federal Wage Garnishment Law and the Illinois Revised Statutes, creditors are permitted to collect delinquent debts from the wages of our employees.

There are at least three major kinds of wage deductions the University may legally be required to make:

• Wage Assignments: a written instrument to secure an existing debt of a wage-earner or one contracted by the wage-earner at the time of execution.
• Wage Deduction Orders (formerly referred to as Garnishments) are court orders to withhold an amount from the employee's earnings for a debt.
• Levies are generally filed by the Internal Revenue Service or the State Revenue Service for unpaid taxes.

Employee Rights

The law prohibits the employer from discharging or suspending an employee on the grounds that his earnings have been subject to garnishment or assignments for any one indebtedness. However, an employee may be disciplined for wage deduction orders for more than one indebtedness within a one-year period.

Assistance to Employees

The Campus Human Resources Office will contact employees experiencing problems with wage assignments and garnishments and will attempt to provide assistance if appropriate. The Employee Assistance Program may be used, in confidence, by any employee needing a referral for credit problems. The Law School's Tax Clinic may also provide help to an employee.