Overpaid By Employer.

WoodruffsDad

My wife's major weakness is Maths and as she is working part-time the error was not easily apparent to her.

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ERICS_MUM

over what period was the alleged over payment of £1600 made ? I suggest it be repaid (once you have verified it) over the same length of time (sorry I;m not wording this very well). e.g. if she was overpaid £80 per month for 20 months, she could offer to re-pay £80 per month for the next 20 months.

Dovah_diva

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Yes, she has to pay it back and luckily for you both she can make an offer - the fairest would be to pay it back over the same length of time that she received it. So, if they have been overpaying for six months she should offer to repay it over six months.

Edit: Eric's Mum got there before me

FBaby

Of course she is not to be slatted for not having picked up on the error. It can happen, but why she and you consider that this justify keeping the money is another matter.

As stated, if she'd been underpaid, and the company had picked up on it but not your wife, would it have been ok for them to keep quiet and continue to under pay and then say that she hadn't picked up on it herself, so it is ok for them not to pay back?

WoodruffsDad

FBaby wrote: »

Of course she is not to be slatted for not having picked up on the error. It can happen, but why she and you consider that this justify keeping the money is another matter.

As stated, if she'd been underpaid, and the company had picked up on it but not your wife, would it have been ok for them to keep quiet and continue to under pay and then say that she hadn't picked up on it herself, so it is ok for them not to pay back?

When did I say that my wife or I ever considered keeping the money? You are accusing us of something we had NO intention of doing and you have no personal knowledge of us whatsoever. We are 100% honest and had NO intention of benefiting from an error.

The reason for my question was that my wife's employers are historically and long term exceedingly inefficient in the Payroll/Human Resources field.

I was hoping that the answer was going to be that there was no legal obligation for her to repay so that she could show up their poor performance by saying to them "I will certainly refund the £1,600 but I have no legal obligation to do so therefore I suggest that you tighten up your procedures in future".

Now, please can the backbiting and criticism please stop. We do NOT need a masterclass in morals!

browneyedbazzi

Sorry OP but your wife will have to repay the money and also swallow any smugness about someone else making an error because employees have a responsibility to check their pay slips for accuracy and report any errors (I've worked for a few local authorities and there is usually a statement to that effect printed on the pay slips) which she hasn't done so she isn't on any higher ground than the employer.

Local authorities will usually allow over payments to be repaid over the same length of time as they were made so she should talk to them and arrange a suitable repayment plan.

FBaby

"I will certainly refund the £1,600 but I have no legal obligation to do so therefore I suggest that you tighten up your procedures in future".

Ha ha, and they would laugh at her face and reply to her that maybe she could consider taking a Maths evening class so that any error could be quicker picked up by herself hence avoiding any bad surprises.

Sorry but I struggle to buy that was your reason for asking the question initially, but if I'm wrong, then all is clear now and there is no need for her telling them what she was hoping to be able to.

WoodruffsDad

FBaby wrote: »

Ha ha, and they would laugh at her face and reply to her that maybe she could consider taking a Maths evening class so that any error could be quicker picked up by herself hence avoiding any bad surprises.

Sorry but I struggle to buy that was your reason for asking the question initially, but if I'm wrong, then all is clear now and there is no need for her telling them what she was hoping to be able to.

So, now you're calling me a liar? You are certainly "wrong" and an apology would be nice. I won't hold my breath, however!

antonic

It can also be a disciplinary offence NOT to advise pay section that she has been overpaid.

I am a Civil Servant, and it is MY responsibility to ensure that my payslip is correct AND my responsibility to notify payroll if its wrong.

Failure to do so can lead to dismissal.

browneyedbazzi

WoodruffsDad wrote: »

So, now you're calling me a liar? You are certainly "wrong" and an apology would be nice. I won't hold my breath, however!

I think most people would be rather sceptical of the reason you have given for asking the question - most people who ask similar questions are looking for a way they can keep the money.

The other poster didn't say you are a liar either - you read that into their comment which simply expressed doubt.

You are posting on a public forum and need to accept that people here don't know you and are not necessarily just going to take your word for things. If you can't cope with that and take every comment personally then a public forum may not be the best place to post.