<\/p>\n
NEW YORK (MainStreet<\/a>) \u2014 With millions of Americans drowning in debt, more creditors (and the Internal Revenue Service) are garnishing wages to get their cash. Human resources gurus say that one wage garnishment is survivable job-wise, but more than that and all bets are off.<\/p>\n Employers are prohibited from letting you go because of a wage garnishment issue, a protection extended under the recent Consumer Credit Protection Act.<\/p>\n But you get\u00a0only\u00a0one \u201cget out of garnishment jail free card.\u201d A second garnishment isn\u2019t protected by Uncle Sam, and an employer who views an employee with a second garnishment as a mark on his or her character has every right to fire that employee.<\/p>\n Usually, companies can do so under either a \u201ccode of conduct\u201d violation (your garnishments make the employer look bad) or they can let you go if you\u2019re an \u201cat will\u201d employee (meaning you or your employer can terminate the arrangement at any time).<\/p>\n Wage garnishment is most commonly levied by the IRS or via a court ruling. The IRS is particularly tough \u2013 it can garnish both your income and, if you\u2019re retired and collecting government benefits, can take 100 percent of your Social Security checks, too. The levy usually isn\u2019t lifted until the debt is paid off in full.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re employed and suffer a wage garnishment, know that the IRS can take up to 65 percent of your paychecks. You do have some options, though, as outlined<\/a> by the IRS:<\/p>\n