Work haven't paid me properly since march.

[VivaLeBeaver]

I just feel I'm going round in circles and don't know what to do. My hours were upped from 3 days a week to 4 days a week in march. I'm still getting paid at three days a week.

My manager has filled out the paperwork and sent it off. I keep ringing hr up and it's a different story every time. First they said they hadn't got the paperwork, so manager did it again. Then they'd got the paperwork but manager wasn't high enough to authorise it. Next level up needed to, spent weeks chasing this only to then be told that actually a director needed to sign it. Rang up yesterday only to be told they've never got any paperwork. Which I don't believe, but I'm back at square one.

I could cry. Because my new job is different hours I'm now earning less than I was before I changed job. Dh is furious and has told me to stop working for free. My boss tells me I can go down to three days a week until it sorted, but I can't afford to work three days a week in this job.

I keep hoping it'll get backdated, but just don't know now. They owe me over 1k. I'm tempted to not go into work for the next month and take the days off in lieu. But that won't help my financial situation and I don't think my boss would be happy.

Other option, because this job is a secondment I tell them I'm finishing it with immediate effect and go back to my old, 3 day a week but better paid job. But then there will still be the fact they owe me all this money.

What can I do?

Your NHS aren't you?
Ring payroll yourself and tel them to expect the paperwork. Then ring your boss and ask to sit down with hera nd her boss to discuss what's going to be done. If you get any bollocks at all - or anything other than an immediate plan to arrange for the missing hours to be paid at the end of this month - then inform them you will be following the grievance procedure - and launch one! Goodness knows you have cause!

The problem is that we're in a recruitment freeze so someone senior needs to sort the paperwork. I've emailed a director about it and they forwarded it back down the chain to a senior manager who frwarded it down the chain even more.

Payroll can't do anything till HR agree to it. HR won't agree to it because either they haven't had the paperwork/or the paperwork isn't authorised depending which story they're telling me.

Yes, I'm NHS. I don't know anything about raising a greivance, do I contact the union???

And my boss's boss is in another town so I can't actually sit her down.

Tell them you will only work the 3 days until sorted out and you have the backpay in this months salary.

I'm confused. If they really haven't had any paperwork, how are they paying you less? Do you do a timesheet, or put your hours on ESR each week? Or are you paid a set amount for your contracted hours?

I'm NHS too. In our trust, payroll can't action the pay until the new details are logged on ESR. That can't be done until a correctly completed change of contract request has been received. For us, it's our divion's HR manager that can sign off on that. If it's taken a while for the manager to get that done, we'd also send payroll authorisation to back date the increased pay.

Have your HR told you who exactly needs to authorise it? Instead of calling them, can you email? That way you have a copy of their reply in case they change their story again.

I'm certainly hopeign I get it backdated. I'm getting less now as I'm not doing unsocial hours. So my last payslip was nearly £400 less than my average.

I really understand your frustration. I have also been getting underpaid and despite chasing the managers, payroll and HR and then raising a grievance its still not sorted. Good luck.

It sounds to me like they've put you on a secondment that hasn't actually been authorised. So they've given you a job that doesn't exist basically. Definately grounds for a grievance. Your trust should have a policy on how to proceed with this or yes you could contact the union. Ring up HR and ask where you can find the grievance procedure.

NorthernLurker - you were spot on. One of the managers at work rang finance dept today and they're refusing to authorise funding. So yes, someone somewhere decided to advertise a job without authorisation/funding.

Now the managers are going to see if htey can get funding from another source. I've given them until tomorrow to decide if they can.

If they can't I've told them I won't do 4 days a week anymore.

But what can I do about my back pay? Can I inisist on being paid? Or will I just have to drop down to 2 days a week but claim for 3 days a week until my days are balanced out? I need the money more!

You've worked the time in good faith so yes you should be able to be compensated for it in some way but you may need to push to get it. Again - this could be by going down the grievance route.
Awful cock up by somebody. In the Trust I work in, recruitment will NOT advertise anything without approval from a central panel and the central panel will not confirm it without finance approval. I would be very clear with your manager that you expect a payment for the work that you've done and not been paid for yet. Don't suggest dropping your hours to make up for it. You worked, you expect to be paid. Somebody's arse needs kicking but it isn't yours!

Thanks, I'll hold out for payment.