Long term overpayment of £50 a month (10+ years)

[bob99]

Hi,

 

I've been employed by my ftse 100 company for approximately 14 years. Our payslips are complex with overtime, benefits, car allowances etc but I noticed on a yearly statement I have received £600 last year. On further investigation of the payslips it appears I've been being paid a £50 allowance monthly for additional responsibility. About 1%ish of salary so I didn't notice a huge amount going into my account.

 

I've informed my line manager that I am receiving this payment and to my mind shouldn't be as I've no idea what it is for. I assume he will discuss with the elusive HR team.

 

I don't have any issue paying back over a long period. Are there any legal threats to my employment position? I can't see anything specific in my terms of employment?

 

Thanks

[renegadeimp]

No legal threats from what I can see. Perhaps see the hr manager yourself and discuss it

[BankFodder]

I can scarcely imagine that this could have any negative impact on your employment situation.

 

Of course, if they start a claim the money – even at one go – and you cause any kind of trouble then they may take a dim view and this could have an impact.

 

However, so that you know generally where you are on this please follow the link to estoppel and read up about it.

 

Also, I suggest that you document everything that is said by anybody about this from now on.

 

The most important thing is that you keep a clean conscience and act with clean hands – these are the kind of phrases which are used when you're dealing with estoppel.

 

You have noticed the discrepancy, you have pointed it out to somebody in authority as quickly as possible. You have acted in good faith all the way and there is a good reason for not having notice the overpayment over such longer period.

 

One of the tests will be whether or not you can afford to repay it. If you do have the liquidity to repay it then you certainly would be required to repay it if it came to a matter of law.

 

However, I'm sure that you want to stay on good relations with your employer and so I'm sure that you will be aware of the appropriate attitude and the appropriate action to take.

 

Of course, your employer could also do the decent thing and write the money off.

[bob99]

Wow thanks for the quick responses, I really appreciate it. I feel such a tool as it does state deputisation on my payslip but not sure what I would be deputising for about £30 after tax a month.

[renegadeimp]

Have a quiet word with your HR manager. Explain everything so its out in the open, and your conscience is clean and they see that YOU came forward about it. Not them chasing you.

[bob99]

Hi, I spoke to HR which is a telephone helpline. They can see it back to 2011. They basically said speak to your Line Manager, they decide if it should carry on!

 

I think he may just stop it in hr system!

[renegadeimp]

You could b lucky then. Just stay calm, dont pressure anything. Youve told the manager, now wait for your next payslip.

[Emmzzi]

are you by any chance a first aider, key holder, something like that?

[ericsbrother]

As you have been paid it for so long it becomes part of your conditions of service so they cant ask for it back ( there are other reasons why this is so as well) but they can stop paying it in the future if you really dont want the extra money.