Do I have any rights?

ewan_c

I started a new job yesterday and made a big mistake when serving one of the customers. The manager is saying that I need to pay the diference myself or he is going to terminate me. What do I do? It's a lot of money involved and I don't have it.

NickyBat

What happened exctly

gordikin

Ask to pay it back over the next few weeks.

Pollycat

Ewan
Are you a sales assistant?

Did you give too much change?

Were you shown how to deal with the till e.g. tuck the note that's been given to you somewhere visible (but safe) so you can check that you've keyed the right amount tendered which will give you the right amount of change to give?

Were you told (either verbally or in a written contract) that you would be personally responsible for till mistakes?

How much is involved?

Is it a mistake that you might make again? If so, the boss may sack you anyway if you make the same mistake again.

You might not have the money to repay it immediately, but if you don't and he sacks you, what will you do then?

Do you like the job?

It might be better to do as gordikin suggests and ask if you can pay it back over a period of time and keep your job if you really like the job and it's unlikely to happen again.

However, you haven't really given us much information to go on.

arcon5

THe problem is he can terminate your employment without having to give you a reason as you don't have more than 12 months service.

But I don't think they can legally demand you repay the money so its all down to whether you want to keep your job or not.

If your manager is acting like this from day one, I woulder what he will be like further down the line................................

Valli

arcon5 wrote: »

THe problem is he can terminate your employment without having to give you a reason as you don't have more than 12 months service.

But I don't think they can legally demand you repay the money so its all down to whether you want to keep your job or not.

If your manager is acting like this from day one, I woulder what he will be like further down the line................................

This is a standard contract term in many places where customers/cash handling are involved. Something along the lines of 'in the event of a shortage in your till you MAY be asked to make up the shortfall'. The only proviso, as far as I am aware, is that only the person being asked to make up the shortfall can have had access to the till. Usually, however, it's only in repeated cases of shortage where it's applied.

OP How much is involved and what does your contract say?

In my last cash-handling/customer service job the customers were well aware that the staff might have to make up shortfalls...in my experience, though, I never knew of anyone asked to cover a loss but we always let the customers believe we did - just in case we accidentally handed over a tenner too much! I remember one customer hot-footing it after me to give me a tenner I shouldn't have given her - and to look at her you would not have expected such honesty. For the main part though my money was usually spot-on! And I am talking handling a few £K in one-and-a-half hours!

Emx

I found this on the directgov website in the employment section.

Retail work: extra protection from deductions

If you work in retail (such as a shop or restaurant) you have extra protection against deductions from your wages. If there is a shortfall in the till or stock shortage, your employer is not allowed to take more than 10 per cent of your gross wages for a pay period. If the 10 per cent isn't enough then your employer can continue to take money from your wages on subsequent paydays. However never more than 10 per cent at a time.
An example

There is a shortfall of £50 in the till. Your employer wants to deduct this from your earnings. You are paid £250 per week before any deductions for tax or National Insurance etc (£250 gross pay).
Your employer can take ten per cent of your gross earnings. They must only take £25 one week and then make another deduction from your next pay cheque for £25.
If you leave your job, your employer can take the full amount owed from your final pay.

arcon5

Valli wrote: »

This is a standard contract term in many places where customers/cash handling are involved. Something along the lines of 'in the event of a shortage in your till you MAY be asked to make up the shortfall'. The only proviso, as far as I am aware, is that only the person being asked to make up the shortfall can have had access to the till. Usually, however, it's only in repeated cases of shortage where it's applied!

Actually thats a very good point. And thinkin back to a few days ago I was reading on the direct.gov website an employer can make such deductions at no more than 10% off their wage unless they are leaving. So if you are correct in that its in his contract, if they terminate his employment they could probably simply not pay his last pay packet.


BUT reading ops post i'm taking it to mean he charged at the wrong price, as opposed to gave out too much change for example. So the company is at a loss but his till is not down.
Maybe he reduced an items price by mistake or something.

Where are you op to clarify?

The_Pedant

Additionally, any deduction cannot take you below the national minimum wage.
From: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Pay/DG_175878

A deduction must not reduce your pay below the National Minimum Wage rate (except a limited amount for accommodation). This applies even if you have given your permission for it.

That page has some good bullet points on what is allowed & the rules regarding deductions.

ewan_c

Thanks for all your replies.

It wasn't money as such. A customer was looking at cameras. He decided on one. I did the purchase transaction, packed the camera for him and off he went. When I was putting the others away, I realised I had given him a more expensive one. They were the same make and everything (boxes and the actual cameras) is very alike. The difference in price is hundreds of £s.

scottishblondie

Wow you know there was someone posting yesterday about how they had been given the wrong camera in a shop? They said it was worth about £300 more than the one they paid for, and they wanted to know if they should take it back! That someone might lose their job or have to make up the difference didn't really enter into the discussion, I wonder if that would change their mind...

Anyway, even if it isn't a shortfall in hard cash it is a shortage in stock. Your employer is still within their rights to get the money back from you, but as stated he has to follow the above rules when reclaiming the money from your wages. If you want to keep the job then negotiating to pay it back over time out of your wages is probably the way to go, but if your boss isn't happy with that he could just sack you. It's a bad situation to be in - I hope you get it sorted out.