Payroll query

[Catoneverychair]

Could anybody advise regarding a payroll matter?
I've started my current public service job on the 28th of a month, on a part-time (3 days a week Mon-Wed, 22.5 hrs per week) contract.
I was expecting a full week's pay for this week as I have worked that week in that month.
Instead, payroll calculated my pay by diving the month by the number of days in that month (30) and timing it by 3, effectively paying me 9.something hours pay for that week.
(Coincidentally, I had the same start date a year ago elsewhere and I had the full week paid at the time, I expected the same.)
Is this legal? I've effectively been paid less than NMW for my hours.

Do not mess about as you want this resolved before the end of the tax year.
Agree with this. You want it sorted for the March payslip.

If you want to put the frighteners on your employer, you can say that you will refer the matter to HMRC (they are the ones who check NMW violations). Ask for payroll dept's calculation, in writing, so there is no misunderstanding.

@Catoneverychair come back and let us know how you get on.

Good luck

I am intrigued where there 1931.4 hours comes from.

@VWCVT6 52.2 weeks x 37 hours

Thank you.

Agree with the above, escalate and say you will contact ACAS.

@Catoneverychair how did you get on?

After sending them a link to the gov website about part-time workers rights and asking to escalate it further, I got a reply asking to confirm my worked days and contracted hours. (Which I've already emailed them back in January but sent it again.)
Then a reply saying the difference will be sorted today and payroll person will come back to me today. Which she hasn't and nobody even apologised. I'll follow up with another email tomorrow but I'm so furious it had to take this long and that they were insisting on being right. (Plus they should see my details in the system anyway.)

@Catoneverychair glad they are paying you.

To be fair, this scenario may only happen twice in your career. When you start and when you leave and other specific criteria also occur.

Your pay is calculated by the payroll system and, unless you have an on the ball payroll manager who intervenes, this quirk occurs.

It is not unusual for HR administrators to not be aware of this.

They should have divided your standard monthly pay by the number of working days in November 2022 (22), not the total number of calendar days in November, and then multiply by 3.

Alternatively calculate your hourly rate and multiply it by 22.5.

These give similar although not exactly the same answer. Most companies I think use method one.

@SummerWillow the Civil Service for c400,000 employees uses 365 methodology.

Thanks for info @Americansmoothy - sorry I wasn't aware of this feature of Civil Service pay. Unhelpful as you say for those starting near end of month or leaving near the beginning, especially part timers.

hope they sorted this today

@SummerWillow unfortunately, most Civil Servants are similarly unaware!

They can use 365 if they like, but should start counting from the previous Saturday..

@topcat2014 a week is Monday to Sunday, so if you start on Monday 27th the 31st is a Friday and you are paid 5/31st. It’s a known quirk of the system.

How does the civil service get away with this when it is patently stupid

Hope you get this sorted OP , fwiw I’m a payroll person and with this sort of scenario I calculate using multiple methods and pay the highest. You have to be v careful with part time workers as it’s easy to inadvertently discriminate and it just isn’t worth it for the sake of a couple of pounds. Good luck!

@anchorbuttercakes you shouldn’t have to do multiple calcs it should be one fair methodology that can be automated.

@topcat2014 until someone takes it to ET they will carry on.

@Americansmoothy have you done any payroll qualifications/training?

This is absolutely not an acceptable or accurate way of calculating pay for leavers or starters. Do you know anything about minimum wage legislation?

Have they sorted this yet op?

@worriedandannoyed have you read this thread, in particular my post of 24/02/2023 17:06 when I told the op exactly how to deal with it.

It is completely unacceptable hence the reason I helped the op. The reality is unless there is an ET, and there won’t be because if someone complains they do a manual calc and pay up, I can see no way this will change. I have to be careful as I have probably said more than I should.

Hello, OP here with a resurrected username. I've been paid the outstanding amount.
Thank you all for your help. Shame I'll have to probably do this all over when I leave. :-)

@Catoneverychair so glad you have been paid.

At least you know to check your final salary 😀.

Just out of interest did they say anything about why they didn’t pick it up when they first paid and again when you first queried it?