Been paid twice this month by error

[babylone]

I have changed jobs at the end of january.
i moved from one NHS trust to another different one.
i received my pay from my current workplace two days ago.
this morning i received exactly the same pay from my previous job!

a part of me wants to let them know they’ve made a mistake and return my (small) salary (AINBU)
another part of me think that perhaps no-one will notice and perhaps i could keep it???? (AIBU)

im thinking if they dont notice this month, they will notice next month and at some pount i will have to return it anyway….

Don’t be silly - of course they will notice. Plus you know you have been paid in error - so keeping it/not advising them means you are guilty of theft.

Email HR/Payroll and your line manager immediately to advise them.

Does anyone read the thread these days? Or at least OPs updates?

A-G’ Reference (No 1 of 1983) [1985] QB 182 is the case law. Tell whoever paid you, in www.lawteacher.net/cases/a-g-ref-no-1-1983.php

They will notice. Ringfence it so you have it ready to repay to them and call them.
Be prepared that HMRC may sit up and think you're earning twice your pay and put you on a new tax code so keep evidence of what happened.

Please stop for fucks sake.

Theres only been like 5 posts to read.

Not the error in itself of course that’s not fraud, obviously, but the person knowing and being aware of the error and keeping the money anyway that is not rightfully theirs is though 🙄

That isn’t how arrears works though. In January you’re paid on the last working day (example) for that month. So February’s pay will be for February.

I’ve had jobs where you do time in hand that you get paid after you leave. No idea how the nhs works so was only asking

You'll just look so bad if they have to ask you for it back. It will look like theft/fraud and make you look so immoral. I wouldn't care from a morality point of view but I wouldn't want to LOOK like I'm immoral haha!

If it was me I’d return it to the asap before I spend it !

The discerning thing to do would be to highlight this immediately. If you pocket the money and they find out later, you could easily be referred to the NMC/other professional body- if you belong to one-as this would certainly be perceived as dishonest. Money comes and goes, but being able to sleep at night is priceless. Hand it in.

Seriously, you don't think it would briefly flash through some peoples minds if they're very short on funds, struggling each month. A fleeting 'oh wouldn't it be good if...' before sensible brain kicks in.

Thinking about doing something for a few minutes does NOT equate to ACTUALLY doing that thing.

Or an awful lot of people would be in prison for their thoughts of heaving an annoying neighbour off a cliff or popping an infuriating relative under a patio.

Please for the love of Brian stop.

A lot of people don't check their payslips so wouldn't be any of the wiser.

I had this happen before at a local authority, I rang them immediately to pay it back. They were very surprised both that I’d contacted them and that I wanted to return it to them 🤷🏽‍♀️

I think it can happen any time you’re leaving and it’s entered payroll cut off. My current workplace sends round a monthly reminder to all managers about entering end dates, updating sick records etc. I think they’d send out large game hunters to hunt you down if we were overpaid!

I told them they had pay me by accident… repeatedly… eventually they found no “leavers” form had been completed. I havent received a pay for merch which is good and the february pay i have is seating nicely in its own bank account/pot and gave me a return of £4 ….
i hae asked many times how to teturn it but no reply.
after how long can i consider it mine? A year and one day? (I will keep chasing them to get a confirmation from them: return or keep/partially keep).

Do you have opportunities for overtime or extra work?

I had this happen, and I told them, but I asked if it was possible to take on extra work to cover it, instead of repaying it, and my boss was nice enough to say yes (seems they needed the extra hours and the fact that I would do it, and they had already paid me was very convenient for them)

So it ended up working out quite well.

Of course this depends on where your job is structured in a way that features the possibility of doing more, for more money.

You’ve contacted them repeatedly, I can’t see what more you can do?
It’s not that easy to repay money to the NHS, there’s no bank transfer details and even if you had a cheque book, who would you write the cheque to? If you knew where payroll was, and could drive there, are you going to knock on the door with an envelope of cash? They don’t deal in cash and they will think you are insane.

Leave it in the bank until Christmas, then spend it on something nice. That’s my advice. if they contact you after 9 months gap, you can pay them back at slow pace.
I bet that payroll can’t be bothered to get that months pay back off you because in the grand scheme of things it’s a tiny amount and they don’t really care. They’re probably as short staffed as everyone else and struggling to sort out ordinary pay issues, let alone chase down a one off over payment for someone who has left, they’ll have to also sort the over payment of tax, pension and NI which sounds like a massive headache.

@Coatsoff42i think you are right. I’ll try one more time to tell them and then o’ll let it sit until next march, wait for a year and treat myself…

Why should OP have to go back to her old job to work for free until she has worked enough to have earned what they mistakenly sent her? It’s not for OP to correct. She’s made the effort to inform them that’s enough on her part

Yes, was overpaid by public sector employer once at end of fixed term contract. Rang them immediately to arrange payback, and then received threatening letter mentioning legal action abour a week later when I'd already returned it. Was a bit cross about that, as had to ring them again to confirm they had received it.

You might find that they notice and sort it out either after the end of the financial year or when they send out the P60s, so usually between now and about June/July.

If it's earning you a few quid a month, I'd not bother telling them again but just leave it earning interest until they ask for it back. If you've repeatedly told them of the error, no-one can accuse you of keeping the money. When they finally ask for it back, send it and treat yourself to coffee and cake/a takeaway or similar with the interest earned.

Don't keep telling them, it's their own incompetence, You've done the right thing so just leave it now!!

assume you mean you were paid for march?

@Bjorkdidit ooh i need to check i have a P60 now!!! I dont know if i will get one though as it is a transfer not really a new job.
@Squiggles23i was paid at the end of feb by both my previous and my current trust. End of march i only received payment from new trust as it should be…