It's hard to figure out the law in these matters. Unless the federal law has changed since 1997, an employer who makes a mistaken deposit into a employees account, has 5 days to reverse the deposit. This can be done without the employees consent. But that is from a 1997 NYT article. Perhaps the law is different now and hence my employers change in wording. However there are different state laws on direct deposit. Employers cannot require direct deposit in CO according to what I read.

I'm gun shy on this issue partly because some years ago my wife's employer told her that they had been underpaying her for a long time and gave her a check for $xxxxx. Then many months later, after income taxes had been filed on the $xxxxx, decided that their discovery of the mistake was actually a mistake and that my wife needed to repay the long spent $xxxxx. A lawyer got involved and it wasn't repaid.

I crossed out and initialed the offending portions of the form and submitted it.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13