Agency Payslip Query

bob_man_uk

Morning all,

Im not sure if this is the right section but here goes.

I have been working for an agency for the past 3 weeks (only recieved 2 timesheets)

After looking over my second timesheet i was quite confused to see "RA adjust" and "RA higher" one giving me £7.69 (RA higher) and in the tax/NI section an extra £10.33 (RA adjust)

I was wondering if anyone else has come across this before as even my attempts to google RA higher/Adjust have been fruitless?

On my timesheet theres a section there is a section that reads.

"I confirm I have incurred travel and subsistence expenses whilst working for the above client in accordance with the clause 2 of the flexible handbook"

I was told to tick this by the agency staff and they have yet to supply me with a sattisfactory answer as to why i "HAVE" to tick it.

to be honest, theyre taking an extra £2 odd by this RA adjust (at least thats how i see it) but my question is if i dont tick the box, will my tax/NI contributions be higher?

I would phone them up but like all good agencies they dont operate on weekends.... and i cant call them during work hours (8am-6pm) due to the nature of the job.

if this is in the wrong section then i do apologise.

Thanks

Matty

LittleVoice

Can't help with explaining what they are up to but if you really can't contact them in working hours by phone, then write (email if you can).

They refer to a handbook: have you received it? If not, say you want that - it is totally unfair to ask people to confirm something in line with a handbook which has not been provided.

If the sort of work you are doing involves you in expenses for subsistence or travel which could be claimable as an employee, then you should be able to claim these. However, that should not reduce the hourly rate you are paid: it should be an additional payment. Do you have in writing a statement of what your hourly rate is?

If you have already worked three weeks, why have you only had three timesheets? Are you not paid weekly and therefore need to have the timesheet signed by the client no later than very early in the fourth week?

dotty74

Do you work for Manpower by any chance?
I can't explain it exactly, but it should work out that your net pay is higher each week as they make an adjustment for travel and subsistence to make your gross pay slightly less, therefore you pay less tax and NI.
Sorry, that doesn't explain it very well, but it does work in your favour!

eljmayes

dotty74 wrote: »

Do you work for Manpower by any chance?
I can't explain it exactly, but it should work out that your net pay is higher each week as they make an adjustment for travel and subsistence to make your gross pay slightly less, therefore you pay less tax and NI.
Sorry, that doesn't explain it very well, but it does work in your favour!

Reed do this as well- not sure about the RA Adjust though:).

bob_man_uk

no its right for staff

no i have not had this handbook, but like i said, when can i go and pick one up to get it signed etc.

i work as a car park attendant on the Derby City hospital and anyone who has been there will know you never get a moments rest.

I dont have any expenses in regards to travel etc, i make my own lunch and walk too and from work, i have never provided any reciepts for anything.

i get paid a week in hand, this explains why i have submitted 3 timesheets and only recieved 2 payslips.

I have worked for agencies before where they gave me £25 back in terms of expences etc but it meant i paid less tax/NI contributions instead of going into my back pocket, i would hope this is similar, it just looks a bit ominous tbh

Deep_In_Debt

You don't have to provide receipts. I worked for Reed and they did the same thing. It basically as other poster suggests, a travel and subsistence "benefit" whereby you pay less tax and NI and it increases your take home pay. I used to be about £10.00 per week better off.

bob_man_uk

well whilst im at home i will send an email to them and see if they can give me an exact answer on monday.

thanks for the help

Matty

PlutoinCapricorn

Is this permissible? I always understood that salary is remuneration and expenses are reimbursements. You pay income tax on the first, but not on the second -provided that you can produce receipts to show that you did pay for food/travel etc. out of your own pocket in the first place.

If you just get an allowance, this is taxable because you could choose not to spend anything on food & travel etc.

dharm999

They obviously run a travel & subsistence scheme. These usually work as a salary sacrifice arrangement, with restriction on the amount of sacrifice to ensure you earn minium wage. In essence you are reducing your gross pay by the amount of the sacrifice. The amount you sacrifice gets paid to you gross of tax and ni, so you end up better of with a higher net pay. They dont do it for your benefit alone as they save the employers NI on the amount sacrificed. The question to ask is how much of the tax and NI saving do you get and how much does the agency keep? What is the split between travel and subsistence? Do they ensure you get the minium wage?

You say that you take a pack up to work, in which case you shouldnt get the t&s as that is specifically excluded. You mention a clause in your contract that says you state you are incurring T&S, but in reality you arent. In my view to avoid a potential tax problem, albeit remote and unlikely, you should tell them you take a pack up and therefore aren't entitled to the subsistence part of the t&s.

HTH

LittleVoice

bob_man_uk wrote: »

no its right for staff

no i have not had this handbook, but like i said, when can i go and pick one up to get it signed etc.

i work as a car park attendant on the Derby City hospital and anyone who has been there will know you never get a moments rest.

I dont have any expenses in regards to travel etc, i make my own lunch and walk too and from work, i have never provided any reciepts for anything.

i get paid a week in hand, this explains why i have submitted 3 timesheets and only recieved 2 payslips.

I have worked for agencies before where they gave me £25 back in terms of expences etc but it meant i paid less tax/NI contributions instead of going into my back pocket, i would hope this is similar, it just looks a bit ominous tbh

You originally said you had worked 3 weeks but only received two timesheets.

You must get a lunch break (at least 20 minutes) sometime between 8 am and 6 pm, so you do have an opportunity to phone them.

You don't have to go into a branch to get a document which is vital to your contract - they must supply it to you by post and not insist you go in to see them when you are working for them for hours that prevent you going to a branch.

Because they tell you to tick a box, you don't have to do it if it means you are lying. They must not reduce your gross hourly rate if you don't tick the box.

bob_man_uk

LittleVoice wrote: »

You originally said you had worked 3 weeks but only received two timesheets.

typo, sorry, i mean to say payslip, i have barely touched my coffee when the postie came

You must get a lunch break (at least 20 minutes) sometime between 8 am and 6 pm, so you do have an opportunity to phone them.

you would think so, i have about 10 minutes while im walking from one shift to the other, without going into too much detail its 8-1 at one car park, then 1-6 outside A&E, im covering someone elses shift, I have raised this issue with them about breaks and lunch times and im waiting for feedback from them.

You don't have to go into a branch to get a document which is vital to your contract - they must supply it to you by post and not insist you go in to see them when you are working for them for hours that prevent you going to a branch.

I will also bring this up.

Because they tell you to tick a box, you don't have to do it if it means you are lying. They must not reduce your gross hourly rate if you don't tick the box.

would be nice of them to actually explain it fully first, why im ticking it, what the outcome of ticking it is, i know people say ignorance is bliss, but on the other hand ignorance is no excuse, i havent ticked the box this week so we'll see how much better off i will/wont be