How long can we withhold a final paycheck for uniform costs?

Q: “Our employees are allowed to ‘rent’ uniforms, but they are not required to wear them. If an employee leaves and does not turn in their uniform, the uniform company charges us for each item on a future bill. Because the uniform company only comes around once a week, sometimes we do not know what the unreturned uniforms are worth by the time the final paycheck is calculated. The owner of the company wants to withhold the final paycheck until either all uniforms are turned in or we receive the bill for unreturned uniforms. This could be a delay of up to three weeks. Can we indefinitely withhold the final paycheck of earned income beyond the normal payday?” – Donna, North Carolina