Fatwa No : 87495
Deducting Salary Due to an Employee’s Mistake

Deducting Salary Due to an Employee’s Mistake

My question is: I own a clothing factory, and I hired my wife’s brother for a job. Later, I gave him full responsibility for a customer’s order. I told him that if the goods were short, it would be his responsibility, and if the customer deducted payment from me, I would deduct that amount from his salary. It was also his duty to count the complete quantity of goods upon receiving them and verify it. When the shipment was sent, the goods were short, and my customer deducted the payment. So now, can I reduce the salary of the person who was responsible? Because I had clearly informed him, and he had agreed that if my payment was deducted, I could deduct it from his salary.

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

In the described case, although according to the agreement one of the responsibilities of the questioner’s brother-in-law (employee) was to count the quantity of the shipment and confirm that it was complete, if the shipment was prepared within the questioner’s own company, and the customer deducted that amount because the company itself did not provide the full quantity, then since the questioner did not actually suffer any personal financial loss, it would not be permissible for him to deduct the amount withheld by the customer from his brother-in-law’s salary. He must refrain from doing so. However, if the nature of the question is different from what has been understood here, then he may clarify the situation and ask again.

مأخَذُ الفَتوی

کما فی الدر المختار: (والثانی) وھو الأجیر (الخاص) ویسمی أجیر وحد (وھو من یعمل لواحد عملا مؤقتا بالتخصیص ویستحق الأجر بتسلیم نفسہ فی المدۃ وإن لم یعمل کمن استؤجر شھرا للخدمۃ أو) شھرا (لرعی الغنم) (إلی قولہ) (ولایضمن ما ھلک فی یدہ أو بعملہ) کتخریق الثوب من دقہ إلا إذا تعمد الفساد فیضمن کالمودع إلخ۔
وفی رد المحتار تحت: (قولہ ولایضمن ما ھلک فی یدہ ) أی بغیر صنعہ بالاجماع، وقولہ أو بعملہ: أی الماذون فیہ، فإن أمرہ بعمل فعمل غیرہ ضمن ما تولد منہ تاترخانیۃ إلخ(کتاب الإجارۃ، باب ضمان الأجیر، ج: 6، ص: 69۔70، ط: سعید)۔
وفی الھندیۃ: وحكم أجير الوحد أنه أمين في قولهم جميعا حتى أن ما هلك من عمله لا ضمان عليه فيه إلا إذا خالف فيه والخلاف أن يأمره بعمل فيعمل غيره فيضمن ما تولد منه حينئذ هكذا في شرح الطحاوي إلخ(کتاب الإجارۃ، الباب الثانی والعشرون فی بیان حکم الأجیر الخاص إلخ، ج: 4، ص: 500، ط: ماجدیۃ)۔