Hi there. It sounds like you are having a difficult time. Your former employer is obliged to pay you wages for the period of time that you worked for them, and you have a right to claim these wages. This right stems from your employment contract which sets out the terms of your remuneration, among other things. Even if you agreed to suspend payment of your wages for a period of time while the business went through a difficult period, you are still entitled to recover your full salary for this period.

You said that your former employer intends to pay a government-issued fine from your unpaid wages because the fine was incurred as a result of your actions. Generally speaking, the law says that an employer must accept responsibility for an employee’s actions (and consequences) to the extent that the employee was acting within the scope of their employment. This means that, even if the fine was incurred as a result of your conduct, if your conduct was part of your job, then your employer is responsible for paying the fine. Any attempt by your employer to withhold payment of your wages is a breach of your employment contract and you would be entitled to make a legal claim against them to recover this money.