My point is two-fold. There is a risk with direct deposit. That risk is, you give your employer access to your account for 5 days after payday. I would like access to his account 5 days prior to payday then. It is the same thing. I can't take his money without his consent and he shouldn't be able to take mine. I understand about correcting errors, but in reality, that's just a cover. He can take the money if he WANTS to take the money. Period! The rules are worthless if the employer isn't punished for breaking them. I would be punished if I accessed his account, even if I had limited, authorized access to his account, if my access was in violation of the payroll terms.
If I were concerned about my employer possibly debiting my account, I could simply electronically transfer my entire paycheck to a different account. With online banking, I could even set this up to be automated.
I'm not too worried... I'm more valuable to my employer than they are to me (even though they won't admit it).
No, it isn't. He can only take back the money he put into your account. If you were to start putting direct deposits into his account, you'd probably have "access to his account" for 5 days hence, too. And, to the extent either of you steals what rightfully belongs to the other, the legal system awaits.
{sigh} Your original post said, "Do NOT sign up for this unless you really trust your employer."
So, let's say I don't "really trust" my employer. Should I feel better if I'm paid with a paper check?