Trying to organise getting paid

foolofbeans

I've worked part-time in my current role for 6 months and in the middle of November my hours were increased. Pay date is 29th of each month and includes pay to the end of the month. November's pay did not include the additional hours I had worked but I did not worry about this as the cut-off date for overtime and expenses is 7th November so I thought it was due to this.
Anyway, I thought I should check with payroll that my increased hours had been noted and I was told that my area manager had notified them but still had to do something else for it to be actioned.
I have since emailed, texted and left messages for my area manager to sort this out. No response until recently I got an email to say he had notified them already but would sort it out however I have since contacted payroll who say the increased hours have still not been added.
Any advice on what to do now? I contacted payroll on Friday who said I should contact my area manager (again) and I explained that I had done so many times and was not getting a good response and asked how I could take it further. Payroll said they would raise it with HR and somebody would get back to me. No surprise that I heard no more that day. Area Manager is now on holiday and I have no contact numbers for anybody else in the company apart from HR and Payroll.
Any advice on what I can do next?
I'm contemplating not coming back to work if I don't get paid the proper amount next week but wouldn't want to to do that to the people who rely on me. I am fairly sure the payment would be sorted out for January but I don't want to wait that long (would be more than 10 weeks payment owing) and my tax will be high (although I should get it back the month after) and my NI will be high (no refund on that) and quite simply I want my money!

Sncjw

It took me a couple months before I got my new hours paid properly.

Maybe it's the case you have to wait a couple months

foolofbeans

Sncjw wrote: »

It took me a couple months before I got my new hours paid properly.
Maybe it's the case you have to wait a couple months

A couple of months?:eek: I don't think that is acceptable at all but I am aware that unless the company do whatever needs to be done then I am stuck with that possibility

Savvy_Sue

If you've got a number for HR you could talk to them. Explain that Payroll have said they haven't had the necessary authorisation from the area manager, who is now away, and ask if anything can be done to give you an advance on the increase (because it's unlikely at this stage payroll can be corrected).

However, I wouldn't necessarily hold your breath.

Not turning up to work, or even not working the increased contracted hours, is unlikely to get the desired result at this stage. Getting the increase after you've been sent your P45 is unlikely to be any easier.

nbinblack

I would politely respond to the email the Area Manager sent you advising you that they had actioned their part and ask them to follow it up because Payroll have no record of it. I would cc Payroll and HR into the email.

foolofbeans

As an update:
HR managed to get hold of the Area Manager to agree the increased hours but he has told them I increased them in October rather than November.
Contacted payroll who said they would action the oversight and payment would hopefully arrive before the January pay date. I decided I wasn't happy about the term "hopefully" so called back only to be told that actually nothing will be done until the wages are processed for January. Any payment before January's pay date is out of the question, they would never do this!!
I just can't believe that a company has no process in place to correct errors until the next pay date. What if an error had occurred and no money had been received? Would they expect an employee to forego the money until the month after? Who can afford that?
As it happens I may not be able to continue to get to work as I have a nursery bill that I now can't pay. Hopefully some juggling of wages may work but otherwise I'm pretty sure the nursery can refuse to look after my children until the amount due is paid.
The person in payroll didn't seem to understand that I will end up paying more tax and NI due to receiving 3 months payments in one month as she suggested I would already have had to pay these each month. Am I correct in thinking that the tax and NI will be higher due to their mistake? I know tax will be evened out over the year but surely a lump sum will mean more NI than if it was paid over three months?

Savvy_Sue

It can actually be quite difficult to make interim payments between payrolls: you have to re-run the whole payroll to get it exact.

It ought to be possible to make an advance which is then adjusted in the next payroll run, but companies are often reluctant to do this because it adds to the necessary processing. However, if you're not going to be able to pay your nursery bill, you could try asking for an advance of the backpay, and explain that you need it to pay for the childcare if you are going to continue to do the extra hours.

Yes you will end up paying slightly more NI, but the tax will adjust itself.