Employee Expense Reimbursement Requirements in Wyoming
At a glance
| Governing law and coverage | No general Title 27 indemnity; Wyoming OSHA General Industry ch. 9 adopts 29 C.F.R. §§ 1910.132-.140 for covered PPE, while Labor Standards ch. 1, § 6 governs payroll offsets |
|---|---|
| Reimbursable expense standard | No general necessary-expense test; covered PPE used to comply with the adopted OSHA part is employer-provided at no cost, subject to § 1910.132(h)'s exceptions |
| Authorization, direction, and primary benefit | PPE rule turns on safety compliance and identified hazards; other required tools/equipment/uniform purchases may be deducted only with possession and written acknowledgment; no general primary-benefit test |
| Excluded losses and employee fault | PPE payment exceptions include specified off-site-usable footwear/eyewear and ordinary/weather clothing; employer need not pay replacement when employee lost or intentionally damaged PPE (§ 1910.132(h)) |
| Request deadline and documentation | No general reimbursement request, receipt, itemization, certification, or deadline; required-item wage offset needs written acknowledgment of purchase and receipt |
| Employer policy, preapproval, and caps | Employer cannot require employee-paid covered PPE outside rule exceptions; other required-item offsets must fit the exclusive Labor Standards list; no general reimbursement policy, preapproval, cap, de minimis, or waiver framework |
| Payment deadline, method, and interest | Covered PPE is provided at no cost rather than through a stated reimbursement clock; no general repayment deadline, payment method, advance/stipend, or interest rule |
| Enforcement and remedies | Wyoming DWS enforces OSHA rules and Labor Standards enforces wage offsets; cited provisions state no reimbursement-specific private damages, fees, interest, or limitations formula |
No general expense-reimbursement rule
Wyoming Title 27 does not state a general rule requiring an ordinary private employer to repay every necessary or reasonable business expense. The current Department of Workforce Services FAQ also confirms that an employer may require an applicant to pay for a background check or drug test.
The Labor Standards wage-offset rule shows the same baseline for ordinary work items. Under Wyoming Labor Standards ch. 1, § 6(k), the employer may deduct the purchase cost of tools, equipment, uniforms, or other items required for the job when the employee has actual or constructive possession and acknowledges the purchase and receipt in writing. Section 6(s) bars payroll deductions that do not fit an enumerated category.
That is a payroll-offset rule, not a general right to make an employee pay any cost by any method. It also does not create a statewide mileage rate, travel, phone, home-office, supply, or employee-loss reimbursement formula.
Hazard-required PPE follows a different rule
Wyoming OSHA General Industry ch. 9, § 1(d)(i) adopts 29 C.F.R. §§ 1910.132-.140 as they stood on June 8, 2016. Under adopted 29 C.F.R. § 1910.132(h)(1)-(2), (4)-(5), PPE used to comply with the part generally must be provided by the employer at no cost to the employee.
The rule has express exceptions. The employer need not pay for non-specialty safety-toe footwear or non-specialty prescription safety eyewear when it permits off-site use. It also excludes ordinary everyday or weather clothing and does not require employer-paid replacement when the employee lost or intentionally damaged the PPE.
The PPE rule turns on occupational-safety coverage and the need to comply with the adopted standard. It does not convert every required uniform, tool, device, or preferred item into employer-paid PPE.
No general claim procedure or repayment clock
The cited provisions state no general expense-request deadline, receipt rule, itemization, certification, or substitute for missing documentation. Written acknowledgment matters for the ordinary required-item wage offset, not as a universal reimbursement claim form.
Covered PPE is provided at no cost. The rule does not establish an after-the- fact reimbursement deadline, payment method, stipend, or interest formula. The Department of Workforce Services enforces the occupational-safety act and its rules under W.S. § 27-11-105(a); Labor Standards separately administers wage offsets. The cited provisions state no reimbursement-specific private damages, attorney-fee, interest, or limitations formula.
What trips people up
“Required for work” and “required PPE” are not synonyms. Wyoming's wage- offset rule can permit a documented charge for ordinary required tools, equipment, or uniforms. The adopted OSHA rule generally places covered hazard- required PPE on the employer.
PPE has listed exceptions. Off-site-usable non-specialty footwear and prescription eyewear, ordinary clothing, weather gear, and replacement after employee loss or intentional damage do not follow the general employer-payment rule in the same way.
Common questions
Must a Wyoming employer reimburse ordinary mileage?
No general private-sector mileage-reimbursement rule or state mileage rate appears in the official Title 27 provisions reviewed for this topic.
Can an employer deduct the cost of a required uniform or tool?
Labor Standards § 6(k) permits the wage offset when the employee possesses the item and acknowledges the purchase and receipt in writing; § 6(s) bars offsets outside the rule's enumerated list. A covered PPE item may instead fall under the separate employer-payment rule.
Who pays for covered workplace PPE?
Under the Wyoming-adopted § 1910.132(h), the employer generally provides PPE used to comply with the standard at no cost, subject to the rule's exceptions.
Statutes and sources
- W.S. Title 27, Chapter 11. Wyoming Occupational Health and Safety Act and Department enforcement authority. Official Title 27 (accessed July 14, 2026).
- Wyoming OSHA General Industry ch. 9 and adopted 29 C.F.R. § 1910.132(h). PPE incorporation and payment rule. Official Wyoming rule filing (accessed July 14, 2026).
- Wyoming Labor Standards ch. 1, § 6. Required-item and exclusive wage- offset rules. Official rule filing (accessed July 14, 2026).
- Wyoming DWS employer FAQ. Current agency answer on applicant-paid checks and tests. Official FAQ (accessed July 14, 2026).
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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