Over paid by work.... What do I do?

surfbuck

Hi wondering if anyone has the right information or advice.

I work for a large organisation on a ten month rolling year on year contract. I have just started up again on the 1st of Feb for 2012. In my last pay slip of 2011, I noticed an extra £124.80 which I thought was strange but maybe some unsed holiday pay or something. Then in december another £124.80 was paid in on pay day despite the fact that I effectivley was out of contract, then this appeared again in January! Now having started up my contract again the company have decided to pay me through an agency rather than through the company, something to do with head count, so I recieved my first pay check from the agency yesterday, but AGAIN £124.80 was paid in to my account direct from the company.

What should I do? Are they likely to find out and ask for it back? I can barely afford to pay this back as I live month by month anyhow so the extra cash is very helpful but I worry that it could mount up and leave me in a sticky situation.

To throw a spanner in the works, they made numerous mistakes with my pay last year and I was calling in what seemed like every month to get it corrected. And despite the fact I told them 5 or 6 times (!!!) that I had changed address, they still sent out my pay slip to my old address EVERY MONTH! So my old address are getting these pay slips turning up every month with £124.80 on them. So realistically if I wasn't looking regularly on my online banking I could be going totally unaware of these extra payments (although my old address are so far good enough to forward them on!). The agency pay slip came to my correct address thankfully!

What should I do???

agrinnall

If the money isn't due to you then you need to a) inform them that you're being overpaid, b) put the extra money aside and don't spend it, ready for when they ask for it back, and c) work out how you will pay back any overpayment that you've already spent (you may need to ask them to allow you to pay it back over several months if you can't afford it all at once). Of course, they may just say you can keep it, but if they do, watch out for flying pigs!

swingaloo

You need to sort this asap. If you know you are getting overpaid, the longer you leave it the worse it will get. Its very tempting to bury your head in the sand and enjoy the extra cash but you really need to put it at one side because as the last poster said - They can, and will, ask for it back.
The sooner you sort it out the less you will owe.

surfbuck

Thanks for your answers guys. I guess this was the common sense answer that I wasn't hoping for! So if nobody has any previous experiences of getting away with similar issue or any legal advice that may entitle me to keep it..... anybody?.....no?..... then I guess I should let them know this week.

DCFC79

Why not tell them, if they notice at a later point it could come back to bite you in the behind.

caeler

Were you looking for advice that suggested you don't tell your employer and hope you to use some fancy wording that means their fault and they don't get to have it back?!

Whilst deciding how you want to approach this, put the overpayment money to one side, you know you need to pay it back, they will eventually realise so at least you'll be able to pay it back when they ask. Otherwise they'll just take it ALL back from a salary payment and you'll be left with nothing to live on.

DCFC79

You could if you wanted put the extra in a savings account and either wait to see if they ask for it back or inform them of the overpayment and wait for them to take it back.

Elvisia

I'd write them a formal letter telling them what is happening, then stick the money in a high interest account and get some interest on it. Then it's up to them to ask you to pay the money back. I would definitely put something in writing though, so you can prove you've attempted to resolve the situation.

HiMyNameIsLauren

Do not under any circumstances keep this money. Be proactive and contact your employer - they may well deduct it out of your next pay slip. Now, due to money being tight for you, may I suggest you're upfront and ask for the overpayment to be deducted out of your wages in an installments basis - stress the fact that you did not realise this overpayment straight away, but you are willing to pay back. If you go to your payroll office, they'll want the money back (it's their job), if you go to a director with this (if you;re friendly enough with one), tell them the circumstances - just maybe they will say keep it and they'll ensure pay is straight from them on, which rewards you for being upfront. That, as a good employer would do.

Good luck