Left old role but worried by final salary payment

bigfrankblue

I've recently moved to a new job and was paid in arrears at my old employer. 

I received my final salary, a month after leaving, and the amount paid seemed too high. I've gone back to the payroll dept and they've said it's correct. I'm slightly nervous about spending it, in case they then retrospectively ask for it back. The communications between us have been via email and they've stated it's correct - would that cover me in the event they come back in a few months? The payslips they provide have always been a bit crap and don't detail things like the period worked etc, which makes working out if it's correct even more difficult.

About 15 years ago I'd had this happen before, spent the money, and didn't check with the old employer, only to find out it was a mistake and ended up having to pay it back - so didn't want to be in the same position. Any advice would be really welcome. 

TadleyBaggie

Unused holiday pay perhaps?

bigfrankblue

TadleyBaggie said:

Unused holiday pay perhaps?

The payslip has just two line items, salary and also holiday. It's the holiday element that I feel is inaccurate. But again there's no information, so it's really difficult to understand what it relates to. 

Rodders53

What was your holiday accrual period? 
Jan-Jan? Apr-Apr are both common ones? 
How many days leave have you taken during the period?

Jan-Sep = 3/4 of a full year Apr-Sep is 1/2.  

Put the holiday money to one side for a bit while you ask them to show their workings out to convince you it's not an error?

bigfrankblue

So I checked the contract and it stated the holiday runs from 1 April and ends on 31 March each year, during which I received a paid holiday entitlement of 33 days which is inclusive of any public holidays. I left on Sept 5th and had taken a total of 10 days' holiday. 

Marcon

bigfrankblue said:

So I checked the contract and it stated the holiday runs from 1 April and ends on 31 March each year, during which I received a paid holiday entitlement of 33 days which is inclusive of any public holidays. I left on Sept 5th and had taken a total of 10 days' holiday. 

So you'd have been owed some holiday pay - 3.5 or 4 days, depending on how these things are calculated under your contract.

bigfrankblue

Rodders53 said:

What was your holiday accrual period? 
Jan-Jan? Apr-Apr are both common ones? 
How many days leave have you taken during the period?

Jan-Sep = 3/4 of a full year Apr-Sep is 1/2.  

Put the holiday money to one side for a bit while you ask them to show their workings out to convince you it's not an error?

I feel like that's the most prudent way forward.

bigfrankblue

Marcon said:

bigfrankblue said:

So I checked the contract and it stated the holiday runs from 1 April and ends on 31 March each year, during which I received a paid holiday entitlement of 33 days which is inclusive of any public holidays. I left on Sept 5th and had taken a total of 10 days' holiday. 

So you'd have been owed some holiday pay - 3.5 or 4 days, depending on how these things are calculated under your contract.

By my back of a fag packet maths, it looks like they've paid me for 14 days' holiday.

TadleyBaggie

Looks like someone made the incorrect assumption you had taken no holidays. 

TELLIT01

If they do come after you saying that your holiday pay was wrong, offer to repay at a very low amount as you had queried the payment and they had insisted it was correct.  They will have the right to recover overpayment.

Exodi

TELLIT01 said:

If they do come after you saying that your holiday pay was wrong, offer to repay at a very low amount as you had queried the payment and they had insisted it was correct.  They will have the right to recover overpayment.

If he suspects that they've paid him his full holiday entitlement without accounting for any holiday he has taken, why would you not just tell that...

To teach them a lesson? To punish the staff member processing payroll for not being more diligent?

I don't personally think I could be bothered to deliberately stir up some drama, or suggest entering into a mickey mouse pay arrangement spanning many years when I have the money still sitting in my current account.

This forum so commonly reverts to employers/landlords/banks are evil, 'do everything you can to stitch them up', I don't even really understand why...