Is a voluntary wage assignment the same as a garnishment notice?
HRCalifornia
No. A voluntary wage assignment is not the same as a garnishment. Labor Code Section 2929 defines garnishment as a judicial procedure requiring wages to be withheld to satisfy a debt. A voluntary wage assignment involves no court action and therefore is not a garnishment.
Unlike a garnishment, employers are not required to honor a voluntary wage assignment. Employers should review the assignment, discuss it with the employee and consult legal counsel before deciding whether to honor it.
Voluntary wage assignments are governed by Labor Code Section 300, not Section 2929.
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