An employee's pay can be cut with or without his approval as long as the employer tells the employee BEFORE any work is done. The employee cannot work without first knowing the amount of wages to be paid. Title 50-2-101
Under Tennessee Wage Regulation Act Title 50-2-101 – 50-2-108, an employer is prohibited from penalizing an employee or deducting any sum of money as a penalty or fine from the employee's wages.
Tennessee Wage Regulation Act Title 50–2–103 requires employers of private employments of 5 or more employees to establish and maintain regular pay periods at least twice monthly. Penalties may be accessed for violation of this section against those employers for missing a regularly scheduled payroll date and in paying their employees late.
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development/Workplace Regulations and Compliance Division/Wage and Break Complaints