In a BLR webinar entitled ‘Payroll: How To Legally Handle Tax Levies and Garnishments’, attorneys Clint Robison and Amy Jensen discuss a scenario in which an employee approaches the employer with a wage garnishment notice or order that the employee has received. An example of such an order could be a child support payment reduction order. What should the organization do? Should such orders or notices only come through the mail directly to the employer? The attorneys provide the following guidelines regarding such notices or orders:

• the organization should not ignore the notice or order and should be prepared to look into it
• it is not unusual for an employee to actually be the source of information about a garnishment notice or order
• it is a good thing that the employee is trying to ensure that the employer is aware of any wage garnishment information
• the organization can also phone the garnishment agency to confirm validity of the notice or order
• if the notice or order the employee provides has a date that is past due, it is advisable to phone the garnishment agency to ensure that the organization is in compliance and that a timely submission can occur

Clint Robison is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Hinshaw & Culbertson, one of the largest and oldest law firms in the country and can be reached at crobison@hinshawlaw.com. Amy Jensen is a senior employment attorney in the firm's Los Angeles office, who provides counseling and litigation services to a variety of companies. She can be reached at ajensen@hinshawlaw.com.