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

Shiggaddi

PATRICIA_KELLY wrote: »

I Know Someone Who Had This Done In His Pay But He Didn't Know But Was Told Last Week It Will Now Be Tacken Out Of His Wages So They Do Catch Up With You In The End

Yes, if your current employer makes a mistake and you're still working for them, then chances are they will discover eventually and put it right by taking it off future pay.

But if you've already left a company, then there's no future wages to take the payment from, and you have to rely on chasing the ex employee and coming to an arrangement to pay the money back.

Lizzie_Jane_2

Arguably, it would be dishonest on the one hand and foolish and risky on the other if Grant failed to raise the issue of this overpayment with his employer. If Grant has good cause to believe it's money he isn't legally entitled to, there's no knowing the outcome of the matter if he doesn't deal with it straightforwardly. Is the relatively small amount of money involved worth forfeiting his boss's good opinion, trust, friendship, perhaps even jeopardizing his own future prospects, including any future job reference? Don't go there, Grant!

baz9239

About 7 years ago I worked for a company who by mistake paid me £1500 too much. I was delighted! I didn't spend the money straight away as I thought they might notice so I waited a month and a half. Nobody said anything so I spent it!

6 months later they noticed and asked for it back! I didn't have it and I was going to get the sack for spending the money because it is theft! This was a big company and I only narrowly escaped the sack because I got on so well with my immediate boss who stuck up for me saying I was useless with money and would have spent that money without realising I had been overpaid because I never used to check my bank account!! (days before Money Saving Expert!).

If the same happened now I would DEFINATLY own up!!!!

tallgirld

He Should Keep It!!!!

Badger_Lady

I'm currently working my notice (at a large financial services provider) and have just been informed that the company has been overpaying me since February!

We had our payrises then, and they miscalculated, but it never occured to me to check their figures so I genuinely didn't have a clue... fact now is, they're deducting what I owe from my final payslips which means I'm going to have a whole month with no earnings!

Thank God I'm leaving the company now - what would have happened if it had carried on for the rest of the year?

So, if I ever suspected in future that I was getting overpaid, I would definitely own up...

Targanielle

If Grant thinks he has been overpaid and isn't owed holiday or lieu money, he should definitely query it, for all the legal and moral reasons quoted above.

Targanielle

littlescousemouse wrote: »

I have a similar dilemma to Grant's at the moment... I was overpaid by my last employers- big international book company- on my final paycheck. This happened at the end of January. I told them 5 days after when I realised what they'd done (was on SSP after being injured at work at the time so should have received approx £300- not the £1200 that I did receive). The store referred me onto payroll at head office who have messed me around since then with different calculations of how much I owe them. They reckon I owe them nearly £600, whereas my figures come out nearer to £300 (as they consistently messed up my SSP which will affect my tax refunds as well- grrr).

I'm a student and I need to be able to budget for this money, I feel really wound up with them as everytime I call them I get brushed off and spoken to like dirt. It's been nearly 2 months now. I've done everything I can, speaking to payroll, the store, the management, sending faxes containing my calculations, and they haven't shown me the same courtesy. What can I do next? I don't want to be chased down for this in months to come when I've booked a holiday or something! Please help!

Talk to the Citizen's Advice. They may be able to help you.

izzig

My hubby left a job and they paid him not only the full month but for the next 2 as well. We kept telling them and asking what they wanted to do but after 5 phone calls we gave up. We put the money in a separate savings account and after almonst 2 years they suddenly sent a letter demanding full refund. We were so incensed (cant spell sorry) by the tone of the letter we told them we could only pay it back by installments even though we had the money in the account. The problem came with the amount. My hubby had changed his original leaving date by staying an extra 2 weeks but they had no record of that and we could not prove it either so they asked for more than we had put aside. In the end we paid them what we believed we owed them over the next year or so and them wrote explaining we thought we had paid in full. They did try to get the balance but in the end 4 years after the overpayment they gave up.

My conclusion - it's far less hassle to be honest!

Penny_Watcher

Can't say too much about this, but as this is an anonymous forum I'll keep it a general as I can.

Mr A was employed by my husbands company. At the interview he was offered the salary of £xx,xxx per annum with an initial 6 month contract to see if he liked the job/the company liked him.

After 4 months it was realised that Mr A was being paid double the agreed salary. The wages and salaries dept had misunderstood that the agreement was for £xx,xxx for the 6 month contract not per annum due to a badly worded offer letter.

Mr A was challenged about this, resigned on the spot and is refusing to repay the overpayment.

I have no particular opinion about this. I think the company have been incredibly unprofessional in making the overpayment in the first place, but I think that Mr A must have known a mistake was being made when for 4 months his wages were double what he had agreed.

Beautiful_smile!

It could be that it has been done on purpose, to assess his honesty! Either way, he is better off pointing it out to the employer, regardless of friendship as it will always be on his favour and his friend will know he can be trusted in future.