Overpayment

[Epiphany74]

I'm an employer and I pay my staff weekly in cash, with a proper pay packet.

I accidentally paid my staff for a statutory day on Easter Sunday that was not one of their contracted stat days. It's not a lot of money for any individual, but for me (running my own independant business) it really adds up.

Do you think I can ask my staff to forego the next stat day - which in Northern Ireland is 12 July - in order to allow me to recoop the overpayment? They would still get a day off, but it won't be paid.

I know it was my mistake, but everyone here is treated well and given their full rights, plus as much flexibility as they need to make their working lives pleasant. I don't think I'm being unreasonable, and it's hard enough to make ends meet in the current economic climate.

Employee and employer thoughts on the subject ...

[Postdog]

As an employee, I was overpaid one Christmas. I didn't notice because at that time, we did earn more thru overtime, so I just accpted it.

They had the right to claw the money back, which they did. However, originally they wanted to do it in one lump, which would have meant me working a week for nothing. In the end, a part payment by installments was negotiated.

The thing is, you made a mistake with payments which you are entitled to get back one way or another. As I see it, you can do what you suggested, or you can collect what is due next pay day, either in whole or a part. If it really isn't a lot for the individual, and if you are as good as you say, they cannot really object - they don't have any rights to the overpayment anyway.

[mrs_overall]

I agree with everything Postdog said.
Last March (2007) I received a pay rise at work. Last month my employer wrote to me saying I'd been overpaid nearly �2,000 by their mistake. They gave me 5 days to pay it back.
I contacted my Union rep who told me I had by law to repay it, but at a rate I could afford.
I'm now paying it back at an appropriate monthly rate.

[IggyB]

it happens - tell your staff about the mistake, say sorry and try to come up with the least painful way to take the money back... i think taking it out of their next pay cheque is prob the best bet rather than letting it roll on for ages.