wages issues, what do I do??

[miaboo]

Hi
I started maternity leave the beginning of june and get the basic smp.
My company pays us by cheque on the 25th for the full month and the owner says we basically get paid the end of the month after its cleared.
My story!!

• I was due to go on holiday on the 24th so someone else was picking up my cheque on the 25th, wage figures get rang through tot he payroll company on the 19th and a copy of wage slips get emailed from the payroll company to my work place a couple of days after,

• Before I went away I rang to see what the amount of my first smp was only to be told we dont think you get smp, payroll said you only get 2 weeks, (even though a month before I emailed payroll myself to find out wether it was smp or ma I had claim and was told no we pay you smp)

-After stressing out before going away was then told you do get smp and its sorted -Went away and I sent a message (a week later) asking what the amount was again as someone was picking up my cheque to be told oh shes messed it up again and gone on holiday so you havent been paid anything yet!

• I sent another message whilst on holiday asking what the hell was happening then as it was now july, I havent been paid and the person cant pick my cheque up because they havent sorted it! Was told that payroll was still on holiday so they had done a rough estimate themselves and wrote me a cheque so I may owe them or they owe me! (6th July by now!)

-Returned from holiday 9th July and collected cheque myself - no apology or anything and no answers still!

• Today I ask them have they sorted it yet as I'm due to get paid again next week and I havent received a wage slip for june, so dont know where I stand at all and if the estimate was right or not, or are payroll going to have a problem for July as well (bear in mind cheque still not cleared for june so technically still havent been paid for june yet!)

-Got told payroll only returned from holiday yesterday and will only speak to the manager not the actual person that does wages!, the manager isnt bothered and wont see this as urgent though! Who can I speak to, to make them understand that they cant keep delaying in sorting this out, that they were late by 3 weeks in paying me (regardless of me being away the cheque should of been there on the 25th for collection) I'm due in 5 weeks and really cannot be doing with this stress!

My answer to being stonewalled is always to bump it up the chain. If 'payroll' are being useless, escalate it to their supervisors, your managers, the CEO if necessary. Make yourself heard in writing to someone who is in a position to kick the proverbial ass and be very specific and very clear about how the problem will be resolved. In your case 'I need to be paid £xxx for the period xxx - xxxx immediately'. Send lots of copies and then the stress is no longer yours but theirs.

I really think you should find out for yourself exactly what you are owed - otherwise how will you every know it was right? Then you can write telling them exactly what you/they owe and how much they need to pay you for July. Obv in an ideal world they'd know, but you should check anyway, so no extra work for you and the payroll clerk will probably be relieved to have some help. It might seem like "they" are messing you about, but ultimately it's one person struggling to do their job (or that's what it sounds like)

At least it sounds like a small company as "payroll" has been on holiday and whilst hugely frustrating for you, they have tried to help by giving you that estimated cheque until they were back.