MONEY MORAL DILEMMA: Grant's been overpaid, should he keep it?

siany1971

Grant to Phil, "Phil, I just wanted to say a huge thank you for the extra weeks pay you gave me, I really appreciate the gesture and it has been so great working with you, you coming for a beer?"
Phil to Grant "Err...mmmm....but, but, oh...ok then lets go (deep intake of breath)

You see it then becomes Phil's dilemma!

Snowboyz

He should give it back as a matter of principle.

If he keeps the money he commits a CRIMINAL OFFENCE of Obtaining A Wrongful Credit contrary to the Theft Act.

kjfigures

As most people appear to have said - honesty is the best policy! Grant should own up to the mistake. I have owned up to similar things where money is involved and still had the original amount at the end of the discussion. The same could happen to Grant, if not he can leave with a clean conscience.
God bless
<><

gertie

Definately not from a moral point of view.

However, even if he did surely his employer would take it out of his salary when the error was found and it would be if the payroll clerks were doing their job competently.

Anyway it is actions like this that in the end cause everyone else to have to pay for dishonesty in the end.

simon09

Technically, this is theft! A wrongful credit has been payed to his account and kept by him. He knows the credit is wrong and if he fails to take steps to ensure the credit is cancelled then he is dishonest. Therefore he is guilty of THEFT!!! GIVE IT BACK!!:A

jack1142

I think that Grant should thank Phil for his generous bonus of one weeks pay. If Phil says he made a mistake and would like a refund then Grant should repay. However with all the mods required for tax, Ni etc it is unlikely that repayment will be demanded though a small cash transaction may be in order.

Fulham_Mark

I left an employment agency because I was constantly being underpaid or not paid at all! Ironically my last pay cheque was an overpayment of £2000.

Stuff you I thought and didn't tell them. Weeks later they spotted the error and started threatening legal action if i didn't pay it back.

I'm not a lawyer but I did investigate my legal situation. A judge would look kindly on a person who had been overpaid if:
1. The overpayment was hard to spot (e.g. was a bonus, your salary is dependent on sales you make etc) if your take home pay suddenly doubled then a reasonable person would spot this as an overpayment
2. The overpayment isn't spotted by the employer for a long period of time. A company can't claim that your bonus last year was too high and try to get it back.
3. Person can prove that they used the overpayment and can't easily pay it back

In all circumstances, if you suspect an overpayment keep evidence that you spent it. If you don't intent to spent it all on binge drinking write a letter to your mum telling her you're going to repay the "loan" she gave you a few years back

freebies4me

Grant should check that it isn't for a week in lieu, holiday, overtime or any other legit payment first. If it is not, he should thank Phil for the bonus. It could have been meant as a bonus but Phil was embarassed to say anything.

Even if it was a mistake, having been thanked for it Phil will probably be too embarassed/ proud to admit actually it was a mistake so give it back. Grant however has acknowledged that he is not due the payment ie been honest and worthy of a good reference. Grant will most likly end up quids in with a clear conscience and good reference. Phil gets a good feeling and both on good terms for future work.

If by any chance Phil does ask for it back after being thanked for the bonus then is shows how little he valued Grant as one weeks money is unlikly going to make him go bust. Grant is then well out of it. Phil should eventually realise that the smaller the buisiness then the greater the contribution good staff make to it.

I once worked for a large but really incompetant agency who kept getting my pay wrong. I calculated it myself numerous times including when they had overpaid me twice and got them to correct it. Just as I was about to leave they overpaid me again. I decided then that this could be a bonus for all the time I had spent at home doing their work for them. ie underpay me and its my problem. Overpay me and its yours. ( not in the case of small buisiness where this could be a serious financial loss).They asked for the £800.00 back I said take me to court for it. They did not want the bad publicity, so I kept it and never worked forthem again!:rotfl:

30ramjet80

Forget morals. I was once given a simple guideline to be used when leaving any work:

ALWAYS LEAVE CLEAN

Point out the mistake and the chances of being remembered as an honest person are enhanced. This could be worth more than money. You may need that reference, you might need their help in the course of your future career or just want to visit them for a chat years later.

algarve

This is an easy one, he should declare his overpayment.