Can my employer withhold my final pay and vacation pay?

Can my employer withhold my roll over vacation pay without prior agreement or policy stating that?

• I have worked for this company as an admin assistant since 2008 aug. when I was hired I was told I would get ten days vacation time and 6days personal and sick days. I called the boss later to ask of my vacation rolled over and they said yes. I recently quit without giving them a two weeks notice but offered to help them if they needed help printing their bulletins which was my main task. I even went in on the last day of my vacation to help wit the printing of the bulletin. I only took 20 days out of the 40 days vacation I have accrued. I asked to be paid for my vacation time and they are telling me because I didn't give them a two weeks notice they will take 8days out of the 20 days vacation I have. I told them to take those from my personal days which I have only taken one this year. Wht can I do legally?

• Answer:

  There's no federal law (in the US) protecting vacation pay. I'd be surprised if the company signed anything obligating them to pay unused vacation, so contract enforcement is a long shot. State laws are your best bet. What state do you live in? If your state doesn't protect vacation pay, it's really on the employer's whim to pay or not.