Boss fired me then charged me for something i didnt break?

Welcome to America. :-(

I'm not exactly certain how a broken thumb prevented you from working, in some capacity. However, this is not uncommon. You could've had a heart attack and been hospitalized and the dirt bag could have done the same thing. Clinton made himself sound good by passing a maternity act but it really did nothing to help the average worker out when it comes to how dirty employers can be.

The only thing that I know you can do is to try a civil suit. In my experience, hiring an attorney and going through the legal system will cost you considerably more than the $600 you hope to regain. In the end, it will boil down to your word against his, and he can blackmail your former coworkers into taking his side or they lose their jobs.

If you are lucky enough to be part of a union, they may assist on part of this. From what I've heard, they side with the workers more than they do the employers. This is one reason they are so hated in the United States. Of course, where I am, unions are not allowed. Therefore, this is only hearsay.

If you worked for a corporation like Walmart, your chances of regaining your money are even worse. I have actually seen medical records disappear when dealing with a big company that has the money to waste. I have never been able to figure this out, but it's the cost of doing business in America. When all is said and done, the American worker is worse off than a slave before the Civil War. :-(

The big question might concern when and how you broke your thumb. If the unfortunate event occurred on the job, no matter where you live, you are entitled to Workers' Compensation, and if you are entitled to file a claim, you should do so immediately online at the site below. The Missouri Division of Workers' Compensation has an Administrative Law Court whose judges can make summary rulings based on the facts (if you were clocked in at the time of the accident, can provide medical records showing treatment for the broken thumb immediately following the accident, etc.). Should this court determine you were fired for an injury sustained while working and then charged wrongly for tools that were in fact recovered by your employer, the ordered settlement could be considerable -- not just your medical costs. Whether or not your injury was job-related, the punitive withholdings from your wages certainly violate labor laws, which do not allow for pay deductions of the kind you describe, and therefore pave the way for a wage dispute as described at the second and third sites. You should also seek a free consultation with a labor attorney, who might be able to get more for you than the regular administrative paths, or even in addition to those awards.

Good luck!

http://labor.mo.gov/dwc/ Workers' Comp

http://labor.mo.gov/DLS/General/reducing.asp MO Dept. of Labor

http://labor.mo.gov/DLS/General/complaints.asp 2 Kinds of MO Wage Disputes

Wow, I am so sorry about that. You should definitely try to contact his boss, and tell him what happened. By all means, call corporate and see what they can do for you to compensate this unjustly act.

Pay attention to hrerod whatever. Your boss is a jerk.

take him to small calims court and sue him

I'm really not sure, but you could always slash his tires.