Getting paid for the hours I've worked, in a job I left last week.

in_all_reality

At the moment I'm totally stumped and wondered if anyone has a fresh view and some ideas of anything I could do?

I have worked for the Co Op for over a year and have been requesting that my contract hours be increased for the past six months as my wage slips have been notably low and it just isn't paying the rent. I have been repeatedly refused the increase on the basis of 'there weren't any other hours available'. As I have noticed my wages being random amounts I started keeping track of them over the past three months, to which I have noted each one to be wrong. I tried talking to my manager about this issue and have had varying results from 'payroll aren't wrong, you're wrong' or 'if you don't like it, there's the front door or back so pick one', however this same manager has confirmed the hours I have worked and effectively confirmed it is wrong - however concluded he "must have made a mistake somewhere".

Just over two weeks ago I wrote a formal grievance to the Co-Op head office to get a hearing with regards to being underpaid, as per the advice I'd received from my union I asked that they respond within two weeks - they haven't.

The sticky side to this is that I left this job a week ago after my manager hired 3 people with triple the hours I had, with the excuse he wouldn't increase my hours as they were only available to new starters. Because I have left, I'm cautious as to whether the Union I was a member of will still be able to represent me?

I am also concerned if there is another way I can sort this out? No longer being an employee I don't know if the grievance procedure will still be valid and either way the company owes me a fair bit of wages.

Any advice is much appreciated

Acc72

in_all_reality wrote: »

As I have noticed my wages being random amounts I started keeping track of them over the past three months, to which I have noted each one to be wrong.

this same manager has confirmed the hours I have worked and effectively confirmed it is wrong

Just over two weeks ago I wrote a formal grievance to the Co-Op head office to get a hearing with regards to being underpaid, as per the advice I'd received from my union I asked that they respond within two weeks - they haven't.


Because I have left, I'm cautious as to whether the Union I was a member of will still be able to represent me?

You need to continue to pursue this via your Union - from experience, Unions do not like it if employees seek advice elsewhere or do their own thing (it also gives them an excuse to back out of their responsibilities).

Have you still got the evidence to show your correct working hours ?

How did the manager confirm that you had been under paid - was it verbally or in writing ?

in_all_reality

Hi Acc72, thank you for your answer. I have chased them to the point of managing to get a grievance meeting scheduled for Tuesday. The only problem is I think my union is shut and I don't know if they work weekends (nobody puts opening hours online anymore?)

As for the evidence, I have a log of shifts that I have written to the calendar of my phone along with my payslips. The Co-Op have an electronic clocking in and out system though which should record to the minute when I clock in and out (I was regularly required to stay late to help close up the store - which I didn't mind doing but expected to be paid for it). This is what was originally used to confirm the errors - my manager read off the hours which were tallied up using a calculator... he didn't confirm my being underpaid. He repeatedly stated that I must have made a mistake, and when he got the same answer also insisted he must have made a mistake. So no confirmation verbally or in writing.

HappyMJ

They don't usually pay for clocking in early or leaving a little late unless you had prior approval for the overtime. If you are contracted to start at 9.00am or finish at 5.00pm then you'll be paid for that time and no more. That's just how retail works so don't worry too much about that.

in_all_reality

A couple of minutes wouldn't bother me, but it was quite often if I'm around and it's busy I was asked to start working 15-20 minutes early and after my contracted shift ended it was atleast 10 minutes I was expected to stay after every shift.

If the overall time amounts to half an hour or more, I thought I'd be entitled to it?

Notmyrealname

in_all_reality wrote: »

A couple of minutes wouldn't bother me, but it was quite often if I'm around and it's busy I was asked to start working 15-20 minutes early and after my contracted shift ended it was atleast 10 minutes I was expected to stay after every shift.

If the overall time amounts to half an hour or more, I thought I'd be entitled to it?

No. You are only entitled to the hours you are contracted for plus any agreed overtime. If you choose to go in to work early and do work, that is something you have done of your own volition and there is no right to be compensated for it.