to refuse to come to work?!

[ign0re]

I work in a small office. I am the admin staff for very hnwi.
So essentially, I am the only person in the office waiting for payday each month, as I get minimum wage.

Our contract says I get paid on last working day of month however my pay always comes through on the 25th. Apart from the two occasions this year when it hasn't, it's come through on the 6th and 8th of the following month, so not on 25th, or last working day of month but much later.

So, being wary of this I check the company accounts to make sure there are enough funds for payday, and for the 3rd time this year, there aren't - I know what that means, I won't get paid tomorrow.

I have £4 to my name.
I have to pay to travel to work and I'm meant to be going on holiday this weekend.

It pisses me off that this contract only works in their favour.
When I approached a boss and said are we expecting funds for the pay day transfer, he said we should be, I have questioned this but I won't push the boss for the funds as we don't technically need to pay you until the 31st.

That's fine, but the last two times this happened, they didn't end up paying me until after the last day of the month.
Financially I was ok then as I had been saving for a holiday, but this time I was counting on my pay coming through.

I just don't know how to hammer home to them how unacceptable this is, I'm not a miillion/billionaire like everyone else in this office. I need to get paid.

The last working day of the month this month is next Thursday 31st. So they are not late with your payment yet, though they are clearly very cavalier with their attitude towards your paydate. Not a keeper in employer terms imo.

What did you do or say when your other payments were so late?

I think YABU to not show up if you want to keep your job but tbh I can see why you'd be disinclined to. Personally I would borrow £20 from partner, show up (with a tub of cereal for lunch if necessary), and concentrate on jobhunting when I got back from holiday.

good idea. shame you can't ask them to fix your credit score too haha!
well, you could have it in writing when you invoice them - make it so they have to sign the invoice you gave them and agree you are in banking arrears because of their mistake.

Can't harm anyone…

Also, if you could get another job that might be for the best. Good luck

I second the suggestion to contact the ACAS helpline - open longer hours for convenience of working folk 😉 - to determine precisely where you stand in UK employment law & with your contract of employment. ACAS are best placed to advise you on what you may reasonably do without entering in the realms of disciplinary actions &/or breaking your contract.

ACAS did offer to write to my then employer to remind them of the employment law in this instance.

No defence, but said HNW folk may have no idea how marginal by a few days your cash flow is...

No matter that, keep looking for new opportunities.

@universalaunt no defense indeed, but it's absolutely the case I'm sure. I try my best to be sympathetic to that.

Come next Thursday I shall give ACAS a call to see where I stand have I not yet been paid.

Im very confused...if they pay you early fine but if the money doesnt appear in your account on the 31st why havent you kicked up a fuss and demanded a CHAPs payment. Payment of salary isnt optional!

They have up until next Thursday to pay you. Just because they pay you early usually doesn't mean you should expect it.

You sound very resentful for being paid minimum wage. If you dislike it that much then perhaps look for a better paying job. Admin is always paid low because it's a fairly straight forward job.

You could also go to a food bank if you're really desperate but I can't see why they should help if you're unable to manage your budget each month.

If it's a really small company, they probably do manual faster payments rather than a BACS run, so if no payment turns up by Thursday, would there be someone you can speak to, to make the transfer there and then? There's no need for them to make a fuss about paying people, it's just a few clicks on the screen, assuming that they have money available, which they must do, being very rich and all that.

I don't mean to stamp on you when you're down but I do think you've caused this yourself. You should be budgeting with the expectation you'll get paid on the last day of the month, if you're paid before that, don't start spending it until the last day of the month. It's frustrating if you're usually paid on 25th but they aren't obligated to pay you then. Not paying you by the last day of the month is a different matter and absolutely not on. I hope you get paid by the end of the month and have a good holiday

Of course you need to go into work. You are not due to be paid until the end of the month, so it's not late until then.

Probs an obvious question but what you gonna spend on holiday with only 4 to your name? Plus it is school half term near us right how. Surely holidays are a fortune at this time? - I certainly couldn't afford one 🧐

Admin is always paid low because it's a fairly straight forward job.

Hahaha really?

Is that the same reason why nurses, teachers and carers tend to be low-paid then?

Jesus this brings back memories.

I used to work for a small company, who paid really inconsistently like that. There wasn't a cash flow problem, it was more that there was only one person (the company owner) authorized to execute the payments to staff.

We were meant to be paid on or before the 25th of the month (if the 25th fell on a weekend), but every time it was a different day. Sometimes on time. Usually a few days after. Sometimes a week and a half late. Always just because the boss hadn't got round to it.

This drove me absolutely MAD. It's so disrespectful. You can't pay your mortgage a couple of days late if you feel like it. It just created this impression that the company didn't give a shit about its staff, and over time everyone who could land a better job, did.

If everyone else you work with earn high incomes, then ask for a pay rise!!!

In the meantime ask your boss for a quiet 5 min chat, explain the situation and see what can be done.

Could you call in sick? A D&V thing, or migraine?

I wouldn't normally suggest something like this, but they seem to be mucking you about, and what is sauce for the goose . . .

I would say I couldn't afford to come to work until I was paid. And then I'd negotiate a 10k pay rise as it's literally coppers to them.

The boss I worked for in a small company was always short of company funds for my wages. They are legally obliged to pay you on the date in your contract. I made such a fuss that my boss paid me out of his own bank account and refunded himself when the company had funds.

@ haha - easier said than done when I'm consistently paid the same day despite that not being the contracted date, so over time obviously my living / expenses have adjusted to this routine - I just simply don't earn enough to consistently have money kept aside each month. For various reasons, I've had a particularly expensive month so was really waiting for payday. I wouldn't expect any help from a food bank or the like, fully aware it's my own issue.

In terms of my holiday, we are staying at a friends holiday house in Scotland, nothing glam. The trip is primarily for my partner as it includes activities that he will partake in, I will be there to relax, walk etc. Nothing that's particularly costly.

As it happens, our accountants processed the pay today as it's the usual day, without the funds being there - much to my bosses annoyance. Nice for the inconvenience to be on their side rather than mine for once.

I'm on the look out for a new job, interviewing etc, so will hopefully be rid of this potential issue soon!

Some great advice here though, thanks guys!

Less than 2 months later, in the same position, no pay by 25th but I took everyone's advice, lived a bit more frugally and made sure I had enough to see me through to last day of month but now we are 3 days into the next working month and still no pay. The set up of how we are paid now has been changed, but still not approved by the director so god knows when we will get paid, but I also got myself a new job... so luckily my last day is coming up!
It does put me in a weird position for demanding pay though.
With only a couple of days left, I don't feel I have much leeway for demanding payment, and I guess I also know they will pay me... it's just a matter of when.
I guess I'll be told to still manage my budget better. But anyways, onwards and upwards to the new job, a large company where not being paid would definitely cause mass outrage so feels safer in that respect.

Well done on the new job, and well done with the budgeting!

Good luck in the new job, also as you have nothing to lose I would make even more fuss about not being paid what have you got to lose

Email to the boss asking when you can expect cleared funds in your account as they are late is not unreasonable at all

Well done Ignore. There's a lack of giving a sh#t involved in paying you late, that I suspect extends to more than just pay, so glad you escaped!