Under Section 18(3) of the Code on Wages, 2019, the total amount of deductions that may be made from an employee's wages in any wage period shall not exceed what percentage of such wages?

Section 18(3) of the Code on Wages, 2019 caps the total permissible deductions from an employee's wages in any wage period at fifty per cent of such wages, notwithstanding any other provision of the Code and subject to any other applicable law. Section 18(4) clarifies that where deductions authorised under Section 18(2) exceed this cap, the excess may be recovered in such manner as prescribed, rather than deducted outright in that wage period. Section 18(2) lists the exhaustive permissible deduction categories - fines, absence from duty, damage to entrusted goods, house-accommodation, loan recoveries, income tax, and fund subscriptions - ensuring wage protection against arbitrary employer deductions.