To be so upset and stressed about this pay situation?

[SharkiraSharkira]

I started a new job a few weeks ago. It's a start up company and a small independent, which I actually like about it. I was told when I started that it would monthly pay, which is not at all ideal for me but I don't have a choice so I'll have to make do.

My pay date is mid month which, due to when I started, means I will receive no money until mid march. This means I had to use all my remaining savings to make ends meet until pay day but it was just about doable.

Except today I find out that rather than being paid for a full month on pay day I will only be getting 2 weeks worth of money. Which means I am now absolutely completely screwed financially and I have no idea what to do. To make matters worse, my transport has broken down and I need money to fix it, which I don't have. I'm a uni student and only work part time for NMW so I was never going to be on mega bucks but now all my plans money wise have been completely fucked up.

I'm so angry with myself for not getting clarification earlier about when the cut off date for pay was earlier and planning accordingly although tbh I was so broke I doubt it would have made a difference anyway. Spent most of the evening since I've been home crying because I'm so stressed about how I'm going to afford I live over the next 2 months and incredibly guilty because it is ds' birthday next month and now I can't afford anything for him. Feel like the world's shittest mother

[bagpackbagpack]

Ah sorry, I wrongly assumed!

I would deffo ask for an advance than, it really really isn't that uncommon, and I am sure your boss will be understanding.

Hopefully all your creditors are listed in your DRO?

[SharkiraSharkira]

Statistically I think you are correct in that! Doesn't help me much if that is the case.

I work really hard for them, physically tiring, long hours, early starts, and all for the princely sum of minimum wage. It can be pretty stressful and I've recently learnt I'm going to have to take on extra responsibilities which I probably won't get paid any extra for. I don't think it's unfair to expect to be paid for the whole month I've worked so I have enough money to live. At the moment it all feels utterly thankless despite the fact I do like the job and my colleagues. Feel like I've been taken advantage of

[SharkiraSharkira]

Afaik yes all the creditors are on it.

Sofa, I have tried earlier this year but there really isn't anything.

[Sofabitch]

Are you sure? It's a separate means tested fund all unis should have one?

[Sofabitch]

It's called a hardship fund.

[SharkiraSharkira]

Yes I have asked them about that already - it becomes available in November but there are only a very limited number available and if your income is more than X amount your are automatically rejected. As I work and have a student loan my income is, on paper, over this amount. However as I am a mature student and don't live at home with parents plus have other bills (travel etc) practically I don't have over X income. But they don't take outgoings into account.

[Ele13]

I've dealt with the payroll at a lot of companies and I have never seen what you're describing. Cut off for payroll is usually around 1-2 weeks before payday (depending on company size - shorter if smaller), but you would then be paid for the whole month... BACs only takes 3 days, and payroll calcs are pretty standard, you can get templates etc so I wouldn't expect that to take more than 1-2 days in a start up. That essentially means you're being paid up to 6 weeks in arrears and tbh I would be pretty worried about cash flow : in every business I've dealt with, payroll is the non negotiable expense - it doesn't matter how late they're paying their rent or anything else, everyone will still be paid on time!

I would deffo ask questions and see if they can advance you anything. Nothing ventured nothing gained!

[scottishdiem]

There is something suspect about how/why they are doing it in this way but it may be because of the zero hours contract thing which highlights the nastiness of them. It looks like they only pay for shifts worked and that they take make that calculation two weeks in advance of actual payday so have two weeks of work (provided they give it to you on the zero hours contract) carried over. This may mean that its unlikely they will advance you anything as, from their perspective, you might not work it (if that makes sense).

Does your student union/association have any hardship fund? Have you asked the uni finance office if they know of any Trusts that might help. Have you tried [https://www.turn2us.org.uk/] which may be able to link you to financial support?

[SharkiraSharkira]

Thanks for the link Scottish but I am not entitled to anything sadly. I've mentioned the hardship fund available at my uni in a pp and I'm not eligible for that either.

By the time pay day comes around I will have worked for a whole month. Why it takes them almost 2 whole weeks to figure that out is beyond me.

Just worked it out, I'll have about £400 to live on for the month. I'm totally fucked.

[Hotfuzzed]

If you are a student will your bank give you a 0% overdraft. I had one for up to 2000 during my time and you don't have to start paying it back till a year after you graduate

[SharkiraSharkira]

I have a normal overdraft of £400 which is almost maxed out. They won't give me anymore. I have applied for student accounts at several different banks and been rejected. Even if they would give it to me I'm not allowed to borrow more than £500 due to my DRO unfortunately. Mind you, if I did borrow I'd struggle to pay it back so it's probably a good thing they won't give it to me!

[luckylucky24]

Okay lets get practical. You have £400 to last the month? What does that have to cover? How old is your son?

[childmaintenanceserviceinquiry]

you have mentioned working really long hours in the context of a zero hours contract. Are you going to be paid all the hours you have worked?

[SaskiaRembrandtWasFramed]

Your student union will have an advice service that will be able to help you either find out why you aren't being paid properly (to me that sounds dodgy) and/or access financial help. Pop along to see them, that's what they are there for.

[GrassWillBeGreener]

In terms of the birthday, you might like to have a look at www.freecakesforkids.org.uk/

I think someone who knows you / your son needs to suggest you for it.

[ThePants999]

If I understand correctly, you're saying they pay on the 10th of the month, for work done from the 29th of the last-but-one month to the 28th of last month. What the hell?

That's not what a cut-off date is supposed to mean. If they pay in arrears, they're supposed to pay up to payday, i.e. from the 10th of the previous month to the 9th of this month. The cut-off date is simply supposed to be the date at which they run the payroll and calculate it all. So if you start after the cut-off date for March payroll, you have to wait until the April payday to get anything. But you started before the cut-off date for the March payday, which means you should be paid for when you started up to March 9th.

[SharkiraSharkira]

I started on 12th Feb, so missed the cut off date and won't get paid until 10th march. Because the cut off date is 28th supposedly I will only get paid from 12th-28th Feb in march and 1st march-28th march in April.

[SharkiraSharkira]

I better be child!

My children don't live with me currently so fortunately all their needs are taken care of, but for me I need at least £250 for gas, electric and rent and another £120, possibly more, for transport - assuming that I can't get my transport fixed and I have no idea how much it will cost to get it fixed. Then I have to pay for insurance and my phone which leaves me with -£20 and that's not including food or anything else.

[alltouchedout]

Have you anything you could sell or put in somewhere like cash converters?

[mickeysminnie]

Makes no sense! You would constantly be working at least 2 weeks in hand? Can you copy and paste the relevant section in your contract so we can have a look at it?

[RandomMess]

Rather than a hardship grant, can you ask about a hardship loan??? It should have different criteria?

[SharkiraSharkira]

I don't have a contract yet Minnie.

The only money I've been told about by the uni is the hardship grant which, as I've mentioned, I can't get

Nothing to sell unfortunately, nothing I own is worth anything! Except maybe my laptop but I need that for uni.

[Dogivemeabreak]

You would constantly be working at least 2 weeks in hand?

lots of people work two weeks (if not a month) in hand.

[Viserion]

I think you need to go back and check your understanding of the terms here.
My company pays mid-month and has a similar cut off for pay roll. But, I get paid two weeks in advance and two in arrears. So I will get all of March's salary on 15th even though there's half the month left.
In your situation, I would expect them to be giving you 6 weeks pay in March to cover the 2 weeks of Feb in addition.

[icelolly99]

Sounds usual for zero hours contract jobs. I have 2 zero hours contract jobs and both pay a full month in arrears on the 28th of each month. So on 28th Feb I got paid for all hours worked in January. Make sure you are being paid holiday pay each month too.