Not being paid the correct amount - help!

JayEm

Hi,

I'm a recent graduate who's just started working full time in a 1 year training position. This is my first job ever and I'm not ashamed to say I'm still quite naive when it comes to working in the real world and dealing with people in the workplace.

When applying for the job, my boss agreed a pay rate, weekly hours, holidays etc. This was all put into writing and we both signed to say we were in agreement. However the company has been paying approximately £1/hr less than what was agreed upon which equates to several hundred pounds over the last few months. I have informed the boss of the discrepancy several times but he has done nothing about it. What's more is, he has not been deducting student loan payments and I'm worried the SLC will come after me! How should I approach this?

Accountant_Kerry

do you earn over £15k?

Follow your companies grievence procedure (usually it will be write to your managers manager), with a copy of your contract regarding the pay dispute

JayEm

Accountant_Kerry wrote: »

do you earn over £15k?

Follow your companies grievence procedure (usually it will be write to your managers manager), with a copy of your contract regarding the pay dispute

Yes I earn over £15k. The company is tiny (<10 employees) and they don't really have a grievance procedure that I'm aware of (everything is poorly organised where I work). :undecided I could write a formal letter but would it seem a bit strange in such a small firm?

PARIS_5000

JayEm wrote: »

Hi,

I'm a recent graduate who's just started working full time in a 1 year training position. This is my first job ever and I'm not ashamed to say I'm still quite naive when it comes to working in the real world and dealing with people in the workplace.

When applying for the job, my boss agreed a pay rate, weekly hours, holidays etc. This was all put into writing and we both signed to say we were in agreement. However the company has been paying approximately £1/hr less than what was agreed upon which equates to several hundred pounds over the last few months. I have informed the boss of the discrepancy several times but he has done nothing about it. What's more is, he has not been deducting student loan payments and I'm worried the SLC will come after me! How should I approach this?

If you are recent graduate then you will only start to pay your student loan from april 2011.

Running_On_Empty

How have you calculated the underpayment?
Do you understand the definitions of gross pay and net pay?

JayEm

PARIS_5000 wrote: »

If you are recent graduate then you will only start to pay your student loan from april 2011.

Ohh, I didn't know that! I'd always been told you had to pay as soon as you started earning over £15k. Thanks! :money:

Running_On_Empty wrote: »

How have you calculated the underpayment?
Do you understand the definitions of gross pay and net pay?

I'm not that naive! I get paid on an hourly basis and so each month I've been calculating:
No. of hours x hourly rate = gross wages

I've then compare it with the figure on my pay slip and my face goes like this :mad:.

Running_On_Empty

JayEm wrote: »

Ohh, I didn't know that! I'd always been told you had to pay as soon as you started earning over £15k. Thanks! :money:



I'm not that naive! I get paid on an hourly basis and so each month I've been calculating:
No. of hours x hourly rate = gross wages

I've then compare it with the figure on my pay slip and my face goes like this :mad:.

OK, just checking, no offence intended!

deedee71

Are you deducting lunch breaks from your number of hours?

Any

JayEm wrote: »

Ohh, I didn't know that! I'd always been told you had to pay as soon as you started earning over £15k. Thanks! :money:



I'm not that naive! I get paid on an hourly basis and so each month I've been calculating:
No. of hours x hourly rate = gross wages

I've then compare it with the figure on my pay slip and my face goes like this :mad:.

Keep that tongue in!! You asked for advice, appreciate someone is replying.

If that is the case, that you get paid per hour then usually it shows on your payslips

164 hours @ £5.65 or something like that.

If not how do you come to the hours? Do you deduct lunch break? Do you have to hand in timesheets?

Basically - are you sure that you both are working from the same number of hours, that the mistake (on one side, not necesarily theirs) is not in hourly rate but in number of hours paid??

Feed_The_Reaper

I would arrange to have a meeting with your boss after work one night when they are free and sit down and discuss your pay properly. Ask them why your contracted pay doesnt seem to match your wage slip and ask for their definition of where that extra is vanishing to?

Try and keep it informal to begin with because if you start threatening with letters or taking it further it is gonna make working their incredibly oppressive with such a small workforce!

At the end of the day it could be a simple thing like you are not entitled to the 2 extra 15 mins break you are allowed that you thought you got paid for, or maybe the boss hasnt told the accountant/wage person the discrepancy for pay and its to be sorted still, or maybe something else.

You need to arrange a sit down with the boss and ask about it tho, if your down on contract to be paid X amount per hour and they are paying something like 20% less than that, then you deserve to know why even if its your mistake for not taking something into consideration!

JayEm

Any wrote: »

Keep that tongue in!! You asked for advice, appreciate someone is replying.

If that is the case, that you get paid per hour then usually it shows on your payslips

164 hours @ £5.65 or something like that.

If not how do you come to the hours? Do you deduct lunch break? Do you have to hand in timesheets?

Basically - are you sure that you both are working from the same number of hours, that the mistake (on one side, not necesarily theirs) is not in hourly rate but in number of hours paid??

Running_On_Empty wrote: »

OK, just checking, no offence intended!

Apologies to Running On Empty if any offence was taken by my use of the emoticon; I'm used to other message boards where it's widely used when you say something in a sarcastic but friendly manner.

My maths is 100% correct and has been checked by my supervisor; I am definitely being underpayed by a substantial amount each month.

Feed_The_Reaper wrote: »

I would arrange to have a meeting with your boss after work one night when they are free and sit down and discuss your pay properly. Ask them why your contracted pay doesnt seem to match your wage slip and ask for their definition of where that extra is vanishing to?

Try and keep it informal to begin with because if you start threatening with letters or taking it further it is gonna make working their incredibly oppressive with such a small workforce!

At the end of the day it could be a simple thing like you are not entitled to the 2 extra 15 mins break you are allowed that you thought you got paid for, or maybe the boss hasnt told the accountant/wage person the discrepancy for pay and its to be sorted still, or maybe something else.

You need to arrange a sit down with the boss and ask about it tho, if your down on contract to be paid X amount per hour and they are paying something like 20% less than that, then you deserve to know why even if its your mistake for not taking something into consideration!

Thanks for the advice! I'll try the informal approach one more time...