So i feel like I’m being gaslit here. I’m the Office Manager at a small staffing agency.

I do all payroll, on top of many other things. My boss had mentioned how family-like he was and that I need to run it like it was my own. But won’t dare be in the office for more than 4 hours. If at all. I’m currently paid an exempt salary. We pay weekly here.

This morning my boss came in 2 hours after me, saying, in short, “decide if you want to deduct this week or next week’s paycheck for a day of work.” Cause I’ve come in late or left an hour early enough that one time for appointments for my wife and kids, to now have it just deducted from a normal full working day or use my single day of PTO i get a quarter…

It was my first time late in 3 years.

I mildly tried to argue it with him at first. But gave up. I’m not crazy, right? I’ve been doing payroll enough to know this is illegal. Or am I mistaken.. Please help. How do I tactfully tell him he can’t deduct a full day of my salary because of combined hours taken off over the past few months that were all approved ahead of time?

Here are what netizens think:

Tell him you will contact MOM and they can sort it out. If he’s wrong and if what he is asking is illegal, then he will likely be fired and huge fines are levied.

I am pretty sure this is illegal. But I am pretty sure that any exempt employee must be paid a full day’s work if you work any time at all that day. Look into it and challenge them.

Tell him you pay me salary or hourly, but you don’t get to cherry pick the aspects of each that serve you in the moment