NOT A REPOST, but a continuation: For context, I(23F) mentioned previously that I was given a $125 giftcard for my holiday bonus. I was not originally supposed to receive it as I was still in my 90 period at the time, but the owner of the store approved it anyway as I worked the busiest nights. He did this for all the newhires scheduled on those nights as well.
A week later, HR messaged me asking for the giftcard back as I was not originally supposed to receive it. By that time, I had already long-spent the money. I explained that the owner had us write our names down and that he personally approved us for the same bonus. The other newhires involved also confirmed this, yet HR claimed it was a “bonus discrepancy” and that it would need to be handled.
About a week after, we (the newhires involved in this apparent fuck up) were handed $40 giftcards from our company accountant and were told those were supposed to be ours. Seeing as how the accountant herself was handing it to us and telling us it was rightfully ours, we took the cards and heard nothing more… until this week.
Apparently, HR has made yet ANOTHER mistake and is asking us to return the $40 giftcards that have certainly been long-spent. I'm not sure what to do here and we're all exhausted with the constant lack of communication on the company's part as well as the lack of accountability. I'm in CA, and as far as I know on a very basic level, employers cannot take your earned wages (for the most part), and bonuses tend to fall under that category. Even so… What should I do? (Aside from leaving the job, which I've been trying to do for a while now.)