...to keep the extra money?

[sallydecker]

Am a regular but namechanged...

This is the classic moral dilemma, and I fully expect to be flamed, but here goes

I returned to work in September on 0.6 basis after a year's maternity leave; most of which was on SMP only, so finances are still up the shitter.

I received a pay rise in Sept- this was due to be credited to my October pay packet; However, I just checked and I think they have paid me a full time wage+pay rise, as they have paid me at least a grand too much (by my reckoning).

Let's be clear- I desperately need this money; have so many bills, overdraft etc. to pay off and things are incredibly tight- DP was made redundant 3 times this year, and has now taken a job with a much lower salary. But does any of this matter?

Should I ring payroll and tell them they made a mistake?

Or should I keep the money, pay everything off and buy some things we need?

Hit me- AIBU to keep the money?

[ImSoNotTelling]

hf128219 is Jack Straw.

Don't mess

[SpookyScattyKatty]

This happened to me and I told them straight away! How dishonest are you?!

[mosschops30]

sally have been in this position myself recently.

My employers are paying me OMP when I should be getting SMP.

I did the honest thing and rang payroll, they discussed it with me briefly then said they were too busy to work it out right then and would get back to me.

As yet they havent, and I am not ringing them again, ive done my bit!

But I will keep the extra cash in a separate account until I go back to work in case they collar me about it.

I would ring them, sorry

[hf128219]

My organisation is so massive they regularly muck up lots of people's pay every month.

[BobbingForPeachys]

This happened to me sally in exactly the same way

I owned up

They said keep it n lieuof a Christmas Bonus for your honesty

DH's bonus that year (and afaik everyone elses) was £25, mine £770.

Honesty isrewarded and all that... karma....

[IdrisTheDragon]

When I was a teacher I stopped working at the end of December. Then got paid in January. I called and told them - the person in payroll said they would probably never have noticed, but I felt better having told them (and given it back obvioulsy)

[Ceolas]

Definitely phone. DHs employer once made an error with his wages and the first we knew was when he got paid half his normal salary a few months later. That was a tight month

[AllGoneSouth]

As many others have said do phone and check. You've got 6 months of tax allowance so it could be that your net pay is high to take that into account.

Two little tales if I may...

1. I cashed a cheque at my business bank for petty cash and a week later realised that they'd given me £100 too much. I took the money back to the bank and gave it to the gobsmacked counter manager. She told me that the teller who'd made the mistake had had a real bollocking for her till being out. So at the end of the day someone may well get into trouble for the error in your company.

1. Earlier this year a temporary member of staff left my company and in error was paid for 3 months afterwards. I noticed it when doing the quarterly accounts and contacted her to point out the error. When I spoke to her she admitted that she'd known but was waiting for me to contact her. Guess who won't get any more work from me?

Go on, phone payroll - you may get a nice surprise and most importantly your integrity will be intact.

[Morloth]

Definitely call payroll OP. If it is a mistake they ARE going to notice at some point and you will have to pay it back if you have already spent it.

It could quite well be that you are entitled to it though. Better to do it "clean" so you don't have it hanging over your head.

[BalloonSlayer]

OP there's a good chance they haven't
screwed up and it's correct.

I rang payroll three times when I was on Mat leave because I thought they were paying me too much and for too long. They confirmed that they were not, and so I enjoyed my 90% of my salary, which was in fact more than I used to earn when I was earning 100%, for far longer than I had thought I would be able to get it.

I still don't understand it, but they kept assuring me they were right, so, errrr, OK then .

You may very well be in the same position.

[independiente]

It's uplifting to see that most people are honest, and I suppose it's a normal state of the world that a minority are dishonest. I don't really get the 'what can I get away with?' mentality - what has happened to the value that should be placed on being a trustworthy person?

[BonzoDoodah]

here here

[junglist1]

I wonder how many judgers give to the homeless on the street? I have sympathy for the OP's situation, which is relevant. I lived in poverty for years, real shit, not even able to afford bus fare. Compassion for individuals overides being honest towards companies, for me anyway.

[monkeyfacegrace]

Well done OP, enjoy the cash, pay the bills, and buy yourself a bottle of red and a bunch of flowers!
And no, I didnt give back the £10 extra change the petrol station gave me earlier. Cheers!

[independiente]

'being honest towards companies'

Look, you're either an honest person, or you're not an honest person. You don't say: 'well, I'll be honest in that situation, but not in this one.' That's not actually honesty, is it?

IMO the OP sounds like an honest person sorely tempted to go against the grain by being in financial hardship. The temptation is totally understandable. If she was dishonest, she wouldn't bother asking, but would simply have kept the money.

[junglist1]

monkeyface have a pear cider on me

[alwayslookingforanswers]

We're in an increidbly tight finanicial position right now (think 5 figure sums of money owed - excluding the mortgage - that's WELL over 10k).

£1000 would make an enormous difference to us...

But I would ring and ask about it. It is theft.

And I always check my change and give back extra if they give me too much.

[LittleMoosh]

If it was me I would tell them and pay it back. I was over paid when I went on maternity leave a few years back and I rang them to tell them and they adjusted the pay at a later date. That said, it is their error and I'm sure that once the money has gone into your account they cannot take it back without your consent. Depends on how you value your job and on your own morales/values. All I know, is that I would let them know of the error.

[junglist1]

I choose who I'm honest towards. I give change back in small shops, but if a grand went into my bank I know I wouldn't be able to give it back all at once. Poverty affects people forever. When income support messed my claim up when I had a toddler and newborn I would've kept any money I found on the street even if I saw who dropped it. That's real life.

[monkeyfacegrace]

Wow you lot need to go and polish your halos. Im an honest person with my loved ones,family, and people in need. Sod big companies and banks, if they cant employ people who can count then their problem. Its about time hardworking normal people got one up.
Thanks Junglist, mmmmm refreshing x

[hf128219]

Judge not and be not judged!

There are all sorts of things in life that are '''theft'''.

Parking in the wrong bay at the supermarket. Taking pens and paper from work. Missing medical/dental appointments.

[monkeyfacegrace]

Oh holy fuck hf, dont start the supermarket parking debate!

[Morloth]

Junglist the OP is going to be a much worse situation if she loses her job and has to pay the money back if/when the find out and it turns out it is theft.

Even if you are not worried about honesty, wouldn't that keep you up at night?

[independiente]

Yes the problem with that, monkey, is that you are relying on the rest of us to be honest in our dealings with big companies and banks so that you can 'sod' them. Because if we all behaved as you are describing, what would happen? To the workers? To their wages? or do you just not use services from banks and big companies ever?

[junglist1]

Yes that's a worry. Previously I said if the same happened next month she'd have to own up. A one off could be paid off in installments, more than that would be more trouble than it's worth.