"On the Horns of a Dilemma"

Dithering_Dad

Hi, I work in payroll and overpayments and underpayments happen all the time. The usual approach is to do an adjustment for the following month to balance the figures out. Unless you have court orders paid through your payroll that ensure you have a minimum monthly salary, your employer is entitled to put you onto nil pay for as long as it takes to get the money back.

They will argue that you have been paid what amounts to an advance on your salary and so it is up to you to budget your finances so that it lasts until your pay resumes.

The only way around this is if you thought it was your money and spent it all and so cannot now budget it to last and so would suffer financial hardship. Clearly this is not the case as you do know it was paid in error.

tigerfeet2006

PMSL Rich it's a good job we 'know' you so well and know you wouldn't do anything stupid and like a bit of fun lol

I'd probably put it into a high interest account until they wan'ted it back.

Broken_hearted

Thank you Richard this thread has reminded me how much I want/need to work towards my goal. I've spent most of the day pricing up holidays:o. although I feel more depressed than ever at least I'm back to having a goal again. Pity it will now be 2009 before I get that bloody holiday as I've achieved bot all this year.
Thats as long as I don't go under before then.

sarah0404

I used to work 2 days a week, and earned about £90. One day I opened my payslip and found they'd paid me 2 grand for 2 days work!!! Nice! They seemed to know all about it though, and were on the phone to my bank and sorting it out asap.

Must be the week for payroll muck ups though. I nearly had a heart attack yesterday. My O/H started a new job a few weeks ago. Brought his new bank details, P45 etc on the 1st day, like you were supposed to. Well, yesterday was pay day so I got a statement to see how much he'd earned, but something seemed really wrong. Just out of interest I checked our RBS account online in case child benefit or something had been paid in there. Nope. They'd paid his wages into there!!!! WHY? Because he used to work for the company 7 years ago and that was the account number they found on his old personel file. :rolleyes:

Last week we'd had a letter from RBS saying if we didn't make payment on our loan they'd stop the use of our cards and take whatever money was in the account to pay for it! We had something like 10 days to make payment. LUCKILY he was able to go into the branch and withdraw all the money. But what would have happened if they'd stopped the cards and he couldn't access it at all? Or what if his company asked for the money back and the bank sent it back minus the loan payment? Thankfully everything is ok and I can afford to live for the next month. Heart is now working at a normal rate again too!

worried123

Hi - I have just read this thread - and it is none of my business at all - and not my place to judge anybody etc and I should mind my own business - However, a friend took out a fairly large bank loan a while back - around 20K to pay off some debts etc......the bank paid him twice - he thought the bank would never find out (doh!).........down the line, money spent.......he is now in a real mess trying to pay the bank back - working all the hours God sends etc.........To my mind, nobody ever gets that lucky and the chances are that you will have to pay this money back one way or the other....but I guess that you already know that....Sorry about the holiday and the down payment on the car......If you do decide to keep the money and say nothing.......Maybe that would be your best bet actually......Say nothing, DO NOT SPEND IT!!!!....YET!!!......and see if it goes un-noticed??

I think that your best bet is simply not to spend it........for now!

Good luck.

PS - Just read Sarah`s post......and it does show you how things catch up with you........and on this basis - how long can you safely sit on the money?? - anyway - Good luck.

nearlyrich

Can you live with your conscience if you spend it? You know it's not yours and even if the company has unethical practises 2 wrongs don't make a right. Your integrity is yours to keep or give away, is £3500 enough to buy yours?

lesley1960

Just a thought , but by working for a company that has ' unethical ' practices doesnt that make you unethical too?

btw kettle would you like to discuss the colour black?

littlegoldfishie

It's an interesting one.Years ago before I joined the Forces, I was working for a short time in a factory awaiting my join up date, I submitted my bank details to the admin people, but they said that there would be a delay in setting up my wages for some reason. I along with a few others were paid on a weekly basis cash, but at the same time the wages were going into my bank account. I said nothing, didn't spend the money, stashed it in case they realised. I left a month or so after I reaslised, I had double wages for 6 weeks. It was fab! They never caught up with me or asked for it back. Brilliant! That said though I do believe in Karma and things have a habit of biting you on the bum. Maybe because I was dishonest about the money then, I am paying for it now? The BR and having to account for every penny now may be Karma's revenge ? Maybe.....

Richard_S

Broken_hearted wrote: »

Thank you Richard this thread has reminded me how much I want/need to work towards my goal. I've spent most of the day pricing up holidays:o. although I feel more depressed than ever at least I'm back to having a goal again. Pity it will now be 2009 before I get that bloody holiday as I've achieved bot all this year.
Thats as long as I don't go under before then.

Hey B.H,

I think you know that this thread was a little tongue in cheek; based on fact but embellished beyond belief.

There is no chance of me doing something silly for a few thousand pounds; it's just not worth the inevitable fallout.

If however, I could get away with a million or more I wouldn't hesitate; providing it was from a bank or other financial institution; what I believe is called a victimless crime.

While I was sat looking at my new found wealth I would certainly send you a cheque or transfer so you could enjoy a well deserved holiday, and I mean that sincerely; whatever your shortfalls I do admire your tenacity.

Your dilemma then would be: could I accept this from somebody who had no qualms about taking it from the very people that make my life so hard; is my family worth more or less than my commitment to repaying my debts.

I fear life is never black or white; just shades of grey.

Richard_S

Dithering_Dad wrote: »

Hi, I work in payroll and overpayments and underpayments happen all the time. The usual approach is to do an adjustment for the following month to balance the figures out. Unless you have court orders paid through your payroll that ensure you have a minimum monthly salary, your employer is entitled to put you onto nil pay for as long as it takes to get the money back.

They will argue that you have been paid what amounts to an advance on your salary and so it is up to you to budget your finances so that it lasts until your pay resumes.

The only way around this is if you thought it was your money and spent it all and so cannot now budget it to last and so would suffer financial hardship. Clearly this is not the case as you do know it was paid in error.

Hi DD,

Almost, but not quite true. If an employer makes an error that is not of my doing and loses money as a result then they cannot hold me responsible for their losses.