Ex-employer overpaid, best repayment plan?

[enkelt2]

I worked for my old employer for 3 months. Two months after my final payment, I received an extra deposit of £680 out of the blue. Then, two months after the deposit, they emailed me and asked me to return the money. This was a zero-hour contract, if it matters.

I set the money aside and technically I could repay all in one go. However, a big issue was that while I worked there, they never replied to emails for leave requests, asking for shift adjustments, etc. In general the communications within the company had been awful. What I need is for them to acknowledge the receipt of my repayment.

I thought offering £100/month repayment would be reasonable, and they would have to acknowledge each month, so that at the very least the most I'd miss is the last month's receipt. I know bank transfers have records etc., but I would still like a paper trail and formal acknowledgement.

Any advice on repayment plans? Or should I just give back the lump sum, and forget about it if they didn't acknowledge the payment? I know it shouldn't be a feelings thing, but it was their mistake to start with, they treated all employees awfully, and honestly I'd rather there be no mistake (and no extra £5 interest) to start with!

Make sure you’re only paying back the amount you received post NI etc too.

I would just repay the £680 to get them out of your life and move on. They won’t care if you repay by repayment plan instead if you’re trying to be difficult, and I don’t think that would leave anymore paper trail than just repaying in one go.

The only thing you’d gain is a couple of £s interest and a monthly reminder of your old employer every month for the next 6/7 months. Better to just move on.

You'll repay them once you've received your payslip for the £680 and then the payslip reversing it.

If communication is as bad as you say you'll probably never get either!

Just repay it and be done with it.

Why do you want to drag it out?

Indeed. And I would repay it over a few months on principle.

She is concerned that given the company's appalling record of communication, her repayment(s) will not be acknowledged and recognised and she will be left high and dry.

If they’ve given her a way to repay she can simply say she is repaying and E.g sending back the money with x reference. If the company try and challenge it for some reason after repayment OP will have clear audit of the money leaving her bank account according to email confirmation.

Or if they haven’t given her a way to repay she can ask and maybe they’ll never respond back.

Don't repay it all at once but keep it to one side, obviously.
Sent a message, copied to all relevant departments/manager etc., explaining owing to financial circumstances you will be repaying it at £100 a time, 6 x £100 payments and final repayment amount of £80.
Explain you need details of the bank account, name, number and sort code of where it's supposed to go, and you will start repayments as soon as this is received. Ask for confirmation of receipt of each payment, keep a paper trail.
Sit back and wait.
If they don't get back to you, continue to wait.
If they do get back to you with the details, send the first payment.
No receipt, wait again.
Continue each time until they have to contact you, or the amount is paid off.
Or until you get bored and move on....

You will have evidence via your bank that you have repaid it so I do not understand why you would not just repay it unless you have spent it. Repay it, send screenshot of proof of payment and that will be it. If they say that have not had proof then you can send again but that seems unlikely once they have received it. The rest just sounds like a waste of time.

Honestly, I'd just repay it. You have the money available. Just make the whole episode go away. Yes repaying slowly may gain you some interest on the money...but how much? £10? But with this would also be the slight jar/irritation/annoyance each time you spotted the payment going out.

Insist on re-issued P45. Pay. Put it behind you.

You can't just pay it back as you will have paid tax and NI on the amount which they need to sort out. Ask them to resolve the tax issues so you are not out of pocket then you can pay it back.

If you’re concerned about the receipt side of things say you’ll
pay it in cash and want a receipt at the time.

Ok, the P45 was issued before the overpayment, I'm not sure if there's tax involved in this extra money?
Stupid question, would posting a cheque work?

A cheque would be fine.

Have you tried telephoning them and asking to speak to someone in payroll or in the accounts department about it all?

If this is a payroll error, you need confirmation that they've corrected it by issuing a 'reverse' payslip. Otherwise you could end up paying tax on the £680, if you just send a cheque.

Yea that's the issue though. This is a deeply unprofessional company. I think the general manager is the accounts department, there's no other real accounting department. And he's difficult to reach.

But she can pay it back via the bank and then a financial record is there. If the company question it, direct them to the bank.