Should I keep fighting for this issue with my wages?

[Zenlifeforme]

I’ll try and be concise.
I went back to work in feb. Didn’t get paid for two months. Raised it end of March and work sent me an emergency payment in early April.
Since I got equivalent of 3 months wages in April I have now gone over the tax threshold for the year. (I should earn £13k prorata this year (so pay minimal tax after pension deductions etc).
But as I’ve now been paid an extra £2k net for the year I will pay £500 extra in tax and pay £300 extra in National insurance for this.
I am therefore paying £900 due to work messing up my wages.

I called HMRC and they said payroll can do something called a EYU (earlier year update) where they adjust my payslips so the £2k goes on last years earnings (where it belongs). The guy at HMRC said they have pay records for me for last year, I was ‘on the books’ so to speak, so it is possible to do this.

Payroll have been really hard to get hold of, will only reply to my emails, and basically have said they won’t do an EYU for this as they weren’t notified to pay me til April. I have kept asking and arguing through our intermediary ‘workforce solutions’, but even our workforce sols are now saying ‘sorry it’s not resolved, we can organise for payroll to call you to explain why they can’t do the EYU’.

So that seems to be it.

By sounds of things my managers failed to fill in the right forms to notify payroll I had returned. Or someone somewhere didn’t process a form.

I don’t understand why they can’t rectify this error?. Someone at my workplace made the mistake (eg my manager) so someone at my workplace should rectify it (eg payroll do these EYUs). Right?

My other half says I should just forget about it. I certainly don’t want to make a big issue at work…. But at same time I am seriously vexed by this.

My manager called me at the start of it all and said he feels guilty as thinks he might not have filled in the right form. But that’s about it. It’s not even really getting acknowledged.

Does anyone know what I could try? Or any HR bods help me understand this whole issue a bit more? I don’t get why they won’t sort it out so it’s correct. Why am I now at a financial disadvantage due to work making a mistake? (and one that appears to be rectifiable too).

Thanks

this happened to me. exact same, but yours is a higher loss value.

it doesn't matter how they rectify it (and i'd be as blunt as telling them that), they need to rectify it. that's a ridiculous position to put an employee in.

in my case, which was only a couple of hundred loss to me, i recived a head of HR apology, an explanation of the controls they put in place to make sure it didn't happen again, and a request to let them know if there were any futher impacts. admitedly i had pointed out the problem to my line manager who was useless, having no idea about payroll or how to fix it, and it was only when it was escalated (by me, loudly) to the payroll team that the fix became clear.

you need to be noisy about the fact that their mistake has cost you financially, and they need to fix it.

The crux of the matter is in these two points - point this out:

1. have said they won’t do an EYU for this as they weren’t notified to pay me til April - that's an organisational problem, not yours - the failure of the payroll process, and the fact that you had to chase for it to be paid, doesn't mean you just have to suck up the £££ cost for their mistake.

and

1. they need to fix it in a way that puts you in the financial position as if they hadn't made the mistake. I.e. do the EYU!

If that fails to land, i would raise a grievance. check your employee handbook for the process and/or ask your line manager.

My other half says I should just forget about it. that's nuts. i'm a manager of a team and if i heard about someone not kicking up a fuss about this, i'd be wondering what was going on - £700 is a lot and i earn considerably more than you, you shouldn't pay for work's mistake. end of.

your other half is being ridiculous. you aren't there to give work free cash back that you've legally earned.

Thank you @jeeperscreepering that has made me feel a lot better.

I will ask how I can raise a grievance about it for starters.

Are you in a Union OP?

Absolutely no way would I be letting this go. I'm gobsmacked at your DHs reaction. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, he may be worried about how much all of this is stressing you out. Otherwise he is being totally ridiculous & even then it's misplaced.

You have good advice above & if you don't have a Union, try speaking to ACAS

ACAS Helpline 0300 123 1100
Open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

I would raise a formal grievance.

Your manager had fucked up by the sounds of it. He needs to sort it out. But I get the impression he won't admit to his mistake willingly.

Personally, I would look elsewhere and give this as your reason for leaving when you do.

Thanks all.

Yes I am part of a union. I have asked them from the start, but they were a bit flakey. But am asking them again now to be my representation for my grievance.

I dont want to leave as it’s a good job and I like it. But I am incensed that they can’t simply correct this mistake. Especially since I have identified an easy way to do it!

I will also speak to ACAS, thanks

I would also be pointing out that you were reasonable and patient when they paid you late. And instead of thanking you for it (many of my staff wouldn't be able to just do without wages for 2 months) they muck up your taxes and leave you hundreds down.

Why aren't they leaping over themselves to fix this?

Yes good point. I will include that.

I will be as amiable and calm as I can. I have been so angry and shouty thus far so that’s why it’s taking me so long to sort out. I’ve had to step back for a month. (And why my DP has told me to forget it -to protect me).

Thanks again.

To update.

I sent a very mature email to my manager on Thursday. In it I included my formal grievance and stated I will be forced to make it if nothing further can be done by anyone. I said it was shame since I had identified a solution to the issue but it seems all parties concerned are unwilling to do anything further for me.

I didnt sleep well on Thursday night, so hard to get it out of my head and kept imagining awful conflict situations.

Yesterday I got a phone call from workforce solutions and they have found a different team leader at payroll who is willing to do the EYU.

So it’s looking good and think it’s gonna get sorted now 🥳. I can sleep easy 😅.

Such a bonkers situation! I may raise a concern after it’s done to say they need a procedure in place for if this ever happens again, as employees shouldn’t have to fight so much.

Thanks for your responses on here, especially you @JeepersCreeping. I would have certainly just left it if you hadn’t replied to me 💕