Anyone work on Payroll? Think I’ve been shafted!

[User1970s]

Hi
New public sector role. My department wanted me to start on 22nd of the month but HR would only approve me starting on 29th. I’ve been paid for 3/31 days which makes sense pro rata - to them at least (last three days of the month).

Except, I work two days a week only and so worked a full ‘week’ in those 3 days. Do you think they’ll argue that I’ve been correctly paid?

The reason I suspect that they might not want to pay for a full week is because they didn’t want to fund me starting the previous week (to allow a proper hand over).

I will obviously challenge this but everything is password and login in dependent and I haven’t been set up with these yet so I’m stewing about it instead!

Any thoughts?

www.payrollability.co.uk/mid-month-starter/#:~:text=Salary%20divided%20by%2012%20(months,be%20paid%20for%2022%20days

It seems you need to find out what way they make the calculation it's very possible it works better for some employees more than others, it's also possible it depends on your start date - it shouldn't be fiddled to ensure either the employer always benefits.
It's unlikely that things have been deliberately worked out to give you less - I doubt it's personal. You should speak to your Union or Acas.

Usual for companies have a pay cut if date.
If the cut off is the 15th and payday is the 31st and you start in the 11th you’d only get 4 days pay for your first pay but the next one will be the full month pay

Thanks VanGogh. I will obviously calmly ask for the error to be corrected in the first instance.

However, some posters have stated that it depends on how my contract is worded. This suggestion that my reduced pay could be the result of a policy/ contract has prompted me to consider the possible (inadvertent) discrimination issue. (Anyway, I actually thought that discrimination can occur regardless of intent so technically a simple error could be deemed discrimination. )

Btw This latter point is something that has just occurred to me-it is a principle that I read about when researching mental health issues for a family member. I could be wrong though!

Sorry x posts. Slow typing!

I think you are looking for issues here re discrimination, intentional or inadvertent. I’m not saying it’s not careless and inconsiderate, but it’s likely just error. Or as PP suggested it could be emergency tax, it’s hard to know without your payslip.

You are right - discrimination does not need intent - tbh it’s a horrible way to start a new job - suggesting that you are being shafted and they don’t want to pay you. If there are trust issues already this doesn’t feel like a good move!

We pay monthly so a daily rate doesn’t work as such as you get the same for a 28 day, a 30 day or a 31 day month.

I’d have worked it out by dividing the salary by 12 to get the monthly rate. Then dividing it by the number of days in that month and multiplying by the number of days actually worked.

@Harrythewho

You are right - discrimination does not need intent - tbh it’s a horrible way to start a new job - suggesting that you are being shafted and they don’t want to pay you. If there are trust issues already this doesn’t feel like a good move!

I agree with this.

I may be naive, but would approach it from the belief that a mistake has been made or there's been a misunderstanding rather than I'd been shafted.

I hope you get it resolved quickly.

I meant to say I’d divide by the number of working days in the month.

To Watching and anyone else who suspects I have an attitude problem or whatever here... I actually did several hours induction the week before starting (equivalent to a second week unpaid in order to do the handover before my predecessor left). So I’ve actually worked 4 days and been paid for one. In that sense, my knee jerk reaction has been to feel a bit shafted, actually.

In fact, discrimination didn’t even occur to me until other posters suggested it.

But I admit I’ve assumed that they know what they’re doing and the pay reflects their policy (rather than a mistake they’ll admit to).
This felt unfair.

Payroll is council run and has nothing to do with my team or department so is no reflection whatsoever to do with my attitude to the job overall! Trust issues are irrelevant!!

Depends on whether your contract commences on 24th or 29th.

It’s not a mistake, 365 is a recognised and widely used payroll methodology. It has been used since at least the 1950s and possibly for over a century. It predates the 1970 equality acts, and does not meet the needs of a modern workforce where people work flexibly including part time. Most employers have manual workarounds for common issues, in this case it only affects the first month of employment so is usually explained away.

Thanks Margarita.

@harry. I’m annoyed with myself for allowing your inferences about my attitude to upset me. You don’t know me at all. It’s been stressful, lonely and isolating starting a new role remotely during a pandemic. But that is not my teams’ fault. They are lovely. So yes, it has been a bad start but not for the reasons you are insinuating.

I don’t think you have an attitude problem, I actually suspect you are bored and looking for something of interest in this situation

I'm not insinuating anything about you or your employer - first impressions last for a lot of people and your first impressions of your employer is that they are trying to shaft you...I hope you can move on.

If you are being paid less than NMW that is what you should put in your first email to HR/payroll. At this stage I would be silent about discrimination and focus on your hourly rate.

In addition to indirect sex discrimination, you can look at the prevention of less favourable treatment of part time employees regulations and equal pay I.e. compare hourly rate with a full time male employee on same FTE salary.

@Watchingthetelly, you’re absolutely right. Silly me. I’ve been paid under £100 in a job I’ve been doing for a month and my problem is just boredom.

Thanks so much for your reply. I divided my salary by 365 and multiplied by 3 to arrive at the figure I’ve been paid.

Your calculation is wrong.

Your calculation should be salary divided by 260 days multiplied by 0.4.

This has nothing to do with OP's attitude.
It's just a payroll / admin error.
Hopefully will be corrected on Monday Op.

Also please check your calculation first. If you still think its wrong then ask payroll to check and to explain in detail how your pay is worked out.

If after that you still feel you have been underpaid then challenge it.

At this point you could be in error, they could have made an error.

Please do not go jumping in claiming unfair treatment or discrimination as your first step.

I hope you get it sorted out.

What is the start date on your contract OP?

Thanks so much for the advice folks. I will address this on Monday and have no intention of claiming ‘discrimination’ as a plan A. Or ever. I may point out the p/t unfairness if needed.

I’m going to leave the thread now as there are one or two posters who are making unkind / personal comments and assumptions. And whilst I realise it says more about them than about me, I don’t want this as part of my day.

Haven’t read the full thread but the public sector pay on the basis of 12th annual salary per month. However, when it comes to a daily rate, it’s based on a 7 day week and how many days in the month you work. So if you leave in the middle of Feb you get slightly more for that month than if you leave in mid January.

So you’ll have been paid on a salary/12/30 for April. Which is slightly different to salary/365.

Without seeing your payslip you are already saying discrimination and making a big issue.
Yes it’s frustrating you have been paid wrong but at least get your facts straight first and check why.
This could be a genuine error, while not right it could be something quickly and easily fixed, it could also be like a pp said, you’ve been emergency taxed.
Why not check the facts before being led down a discriminatory rabbit hole?
If it is discrimination it should absolutely be questioned

@GintyMcGinty

Thanks so much for your reply. I divided my salary by 365 and multiplied by 3 to arrive at the figure I’ve been paid.

Your calculation is wrong.

Your calculation should be salary divided by 260 days multiplied by 0.4.

Not in the public sector. See above.