Page 3 | what's your experience of being overpaid at work, or anyone you know?

Sparklehead · 24/04/2021 14:02

I was overpaid for a few months when I reduced my weekly hours from 34.5 to 30 and they continued paying me for 34.5. I paid it back over a 3 month period, at their suggestion but I’m sure if I’d said I was struggling financially I could have spread the repayments over a longer time period (NHS job).

Tigerstripe20 · 24/04/2021 14:05

Public sector myself and was overpaid £ £400 paid it back over four months, I made them aware as soon as I saw my payslip.
So the person knew they were being overpaid and ‘ ring fenced ‘ the money due to the stress of IVF & COVID ,a poor excuse for something like COVID which has affected most of the globe.
I think this was very dishonest and the employer has a right to be angry, the employee knew they had the money and couldn’t spend ten minutes sending an email to address it.
Were they just hoping the employer wouldn’t notice?
I would’nt be surprised if the employee would be having a close eye on kept on them from now on for other instances of trust.

hibbledibble · 24/04/2021 14:20

what did your employer do when they realised their mistake

My employer didn't notice the mistake, I emailed them when I noticed. Not taking seconds to email is inexcusable, and having IVF or the pandemic taking place is not an excuse.

A repayment plan was given to me by my employer.

Not notifying your employer of a significant overpayment shows dishonesty, and you may well find yourself dismissed for misconduct, and referred to your professional body, if you have one.

MilduraS · 24/04/2021 14:21

My friend was told she has been overpaid by £1,200 just after she left the police and they asked her to pay it back within 28 days/a month. She asked an accountant friend to take a look as it seemed too big an amount not to notice. They worked out that there was an overpayment but it was only £200. She went back with her calculations and told them she has already spent the money, was temping in another job and couldn't afford a lump sum but could pay back in £50 monthly instalments. Four weeks later they sent a demand for the £1,200 with a threat of further action. On the same day she received a separate letter confirming her calculation was correct and that they would accept the £50 monthly payments. It was all very odd and disorganised.

rothbury · 24/04/2021 14:23

I have been overpaid twice in jobs where they didn't notice.

A good friend of mine was paid for 6 months after she left a job, and they didn't try to take it back.

Do you have a Union Rep? I would argue that they should take back any overpaid sums over a long period . Think about how much you can afford to pay each month and then divide the amount owing by that, that's how many months the repayment needs to be set over.

Your employer absolutely should not be disciplining you for their error.

MadeOfStarStuff · 24/04/2021 14:34

Well she/you clearly realised you were being overpaid since you ring fenced the money, so YABU for not telling your employer straight away. It wouldn’t have been so difficult to sort out if it hasn’t gone on for so long.

Wizzbangfizz · 24/04/2021 14:40

It's happening to me twice through no fault of my own - one an admin error and one a mat leave overpayment. Both were repaid in full and it was a royal pain in the ass.

Californiabakes · 24/04/2021 14:45

Public sector here. I switched roles and moved from full time to job share. They continued to pay me full time. I alerted them after the first month but they continued to pay me full time for 6 months. They then took it back over a year. Complete pain. My friend who worked for the same employer continued to be paid for a few months after she left. She has never paid it back.

rothbury · 24/04/2021 14:46

My three examples were all private sector by the way.....

InTheNightWeWillWish · 24/04/2021 15:04

My work is really bad at informing employees if we have received a pay rise. If we do get a pay rise, it usually goes into you June or July pay and is backdated to April, so 3/4 months at your slightly higher wage. Every time they’ve done this, I take 2 minutes to write an email to HR and say “I notice my pay was higher this month, can you confirm this is correct?” It’s a pain in the arse, especially as I think I’ve sent that email 3 times in the 5 years I’ve worked there, but it’s not hard to email HR/payroll when you spot an over payment. Regardless of what else is going on.

StringersBell · 24/04/2021 15:08

They had enough time spare to note the overpaid amount and ring fence it, but not enough to raise it with their boss? Really?? Given they’re only resolving it once the employer noticed I’m not surprised the employer is angry. Some could construe that as deliberate theft/fraud - how long would they have let it continue??

beginningoftheend · 24/04/2021 15:11

My DP was overpaid, told them twice, they said he wasn't - he had to escalate to his line manager to get it sorted.

They offered to take it back gradually, he had to ask to be allowed to pay it back in one go.

It really felt like we could have kept it

beginningoftheend · 24/04/2021 15:14

@stupidcomputer

Thanks so much for all these useful answers. In the case in question, it was an obvious overpayment that went on for a while, with the overpayment being ringfenced by the employee (so they didn't spend it all) who didn't have time to sort it out because they have been going thru IVF all this time and dealing with the harsh impacts of covid on their family (both of which they're still having to do). The employee has now started to try and resolve it with the employer, as the employer has finally noticed, but isn't getting anywhere fast and is worried about it as their boss was really angry about it. It just seems a bit mad to me that they should get in trouble for something that wasn't their mistake, especially as they have looked after the money and are able to pay it back. I've certainly never been told by any of my employers that it's my responsibility to check my payslip.

Well this is quite odd, the employee would have been better off just saying they hadn't noticed.

What does this mean The employee has now started to try and resolve it with the employer, as the employer has finally noticed, but isn't getting anywhere fast - surely if they ringfenced the money it can be deducted next month?

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep · 24/04/2021 15:17

@stupidcomputer

Both those examples are really interesting and such polar opposites! I'm particular interested in public sector examples. I imagine that there will be all sorts of pay problems due to covid.

Why are you asking? I've been overpaid twice as a public sector worker, once in my first month and once in the last. The first overpayment was deducted from my next pay, and I had an invoice for the last. Both times I alerted them because I am honest. I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't.

Merryoldgoat · 24/04/2021 15:18

@stupidcomputer

Thanks so much for all these useful answers. In the case in question, it was an obvious overpayment that went on for a while, with the overpayment being ringfenced by the employee (so they didn't spend it all) who didn't have time to sort it out because they have been going thru IVF all this time and dealing with the harsh impacts of covid on their family (both of which they're still having to do). The employee has now started to try and resolve it with the employer, as the employer has finally noticed, but isn't getting anywhere fast and is worried about it as their boss was really angry about it. It just seems a bit mad to me that they should get in trouble for something that wasn't their mistake, especially as they have looked after the money and are able to pay it back. I've certainly never been told by any of my employers that it's my responsibility to check my payslip.

You’re being disingenuous here.

If the money was ringfenced then it would’ve been extremely easy at the time to drop an email to Payroll and your manager at the same time.

‘Hi Payroll,

It looks like I’ve been overpaid this month - I’ve kept the extra aside to repay - can you resolve please?’

Also you’d have been in contact if they’d underpaid you so don’t use ‘no time’ as an excuse.

Hoggleludo · 24/04/2021 15:25

I’m sorry

I don’t buy it. Ring-fenced jt. But couldn’t let them know. In the time it took them to make sure they hadn’t spent it would of been time to write an email

Been overpaid.

Job done.

I bet if their pay was cut by half they’d have time to cal the company.

Hoggleludo · 24/04/2021 15:27

Also if it’s public sector.

They’ll want that back quick sharp. I imagine the boss is so angry as nothing had been said. It’s tax payers money. So yes. Of course they are angry.

Floweree · 24/04/2021 15:30

I've certainly never been told by any of my employers that it's my responsibility to check my payslip.

Why would you have to be told? If its a few quid it would only be obvious if checked, but if it was a fair amount it would be clear even without a payslip. It would have been far less effort for the employee to make attempts to resolve it, ie a quick email to payroll or HR the first time it happened.

They will recover the money if public sector, probably just be slow about it.

honeylulu · 24/04/2021 15:44

When I went on mat leave for my first baby HR/payroll paid me a year's worth of holiday pay in one whack in the first month. I was horrified as I was only taking 4 months leave and going back and not being able to take any holiday for 8 months would have been a disaster. I had to fight to be "allowed" to pay it back and get my AL entitlement reinstated. They kept saying "but everyone always takes the full year off".

CleanQueen123 · 24/04/2021 15:47

It makes me quite sad that people's experience has been that payroll errors are par for the course in the public sector.

In my team we put a lot of effort in to explaining processes and coaching managers on providing us with correct and timely information so things like this don't happen.

Of course, as the payroll provider for 5 different LAs overpayments do happen, and it's amazing how many managers try to blame us when it's their responsibility to tell us their employees have left, but I think we work really hard to make sure people are paid correctly.

Laureline · 24/04/2021 16:22

I received a salary increase, and when payroll injected the new annual salary figure in their payroll system, they added an extra zero. So imagine my new annual salary should have been 70,000 - it was now 700,000.

I reported the mistake once I took a look at my bank statement, a couple of months later. I went directly to the Head of HR thanking him profusely for the lovely increase .

Whatawaytogo · 24/04/2021 16:26

@Hoggleludo

I’m sorry

I don’t buy it. Ring-fenced jt. But couldn’t let them know. In the time it took them to make sure they hadn’t spent it would of been time to write an email

Been overpaid.

Job done.

I bet if their pay was cut by half they’d have time to cal the company.

This

Whatawaytogo · 24/04/2021 16:27

* ) who didn't have time to sort it out because they have been going thru IVF all this time and dealing with the harsh impacts of covid on their family (both of which they're still having to do). *

This simply would not wash with me.
Seconds it would have taken. Seconds

PicknM1x848 · 24/04/2021 16:28

Know someone who was paid for working shifts, but never worked shifts
Occurred for a couple of years
I believe their pay was agreed to stay the same, then they were promoted to a senior position

BTW
There was a recent news article, where an Italian was paid for 15 years to work in a hospital. They didn't work a day for 15 years. 15x30k pay

PicknM1x848 · 24/04/2021 16:32

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56822571