Am I to cover the Difference in my Cash Register?

For those employees that deal with cash in their line of work.  Can your employer demand that you cover any differences in the cash register at the end of the day ?

That would depend on your contract. If your contract and your nomina state that you are being paid a certain amount ´quebranto de moneda´ (difference in cash provision) and the deficit is indeed caused by a mistake you made, then yes. But mind you, you cannot be asked to compensate for the difference in cash, it will have to be deducted from the ´quebrante´ on  your next nomina, as the ´quebranto de moneda´ is subject to Seguridad Social contributions.

In all other cases, NO, as being an employee excludes you from being subject to the risk of running a business. You are not responsible for or are sharing in its benefits, nor its losses.

So, what can happen if your boss, say a bar owner, insists there is a cash difference due to a mistake you made and you disagree and refuse to pay for the difference, because you are not being paid a provision for it either, as stated above.

– Your boss can just take his losses, he is the entrepreneur in this scenario anyway.

– Your boss can decide to deduct the amount from your next wages, but then you can put in a claim with the courts for non-payment of part of your due wages. More info on that HERE.

– Or he can decide to dismiss you, but then you can appeal your dismissal through the courts and will most probably get a verdict of ´improcedente´ so you will at least be receiving indemnization for that, plus unemployment benefits. He will have to pay the expenses for the dismissal plus new contract for a new employee as his gestor will charge him for this.

In summary, the decision to pay up or not will be yours, but at least now you are informed of your legal position and about the options available to you.

Please note: The information provided is based upon our understanding of current legislation. It is not legal advice but is provided freely to enable you to be properly informed. We recommend that if you are considering taking action, you should seek professional advice.