Can an employer hold your paycheck if you owe them money?

An employer cannot hold your entire paycheck if you owe them money, but they may be allowed to withhold any debts that employees owe them. They may also be able to dispute the number of wages.

Now, if the wages are equal to the entire paycheck, then all of that could be withheld, but an employer cannot hold a paycheck as a way to force the hand of a former employee to pay back any money that is owed. All of this must also be documented, especially the reasoning behind the withholdings, to protect the business from any potential legal issues with withholding money.