Can a business owner bill an employee for damages?

As a general rule (it is possible that the law is different in Florida, where I do not practice), an employee can be liable to his/her employer if the employer is damaged by the employee's negligence, although employer's very rarely try to collect.  Liley, your employer will claim that the clothing was damaged due in some way to your neglect, and that your employer therefore had to pay something to the customer whose clothes were damaged.  In addition, if you have any employment agreement, or employee handbook to which you agreed to be subject, it may provide that  your employer has the right to charge you for clothes you damaged, or even to fine you for improper performance of your duties.