Help please with wages

[edinburghsteve]

Please i need some help, your probably have a good laugh.

Recently i've taken a career break, my wages should have stopped 2 weeks ago. Hence still getting paid, working for RM is real fun. I think my manager put it through wrong.
The laugh was when i phoned HR about my career break only to be told "what career break". Already spoke to manager last week and hay presdo, another weeks wages.

What should be next move???
This is what i need 1) Confirmation of career break
2) P60 or P45 to get another job

Please Help
Kind regards Steven

[marky]

Confirmation of career break... THEN SPEND SPEND SPEND...

[baldrick]

I don't think you can get your P45 if you're on a career break, these are only for education courses/travelling/child care, as far as I understand it (not for trying out another job as Hellmail would have you believe). You only get your P45 if you leave RM.
If you are staying in the job and are still getting paid while on a career break, RM will claim the overpayment back at some
point so I wouldn't let it build up too much - some people in my MC are having to pay back thousands because RM wrongly
paid them shift allowances which they weren't entitled to and they kept quiet but it was found out eventually.

[marky]

spend it all... if they find out give them it back at a quid a week...

[Sick Postie]

When they find about the overpayment and believe me they will, they will claim it all back from you. I know in the past that Rm have sent out solicitor letters if they have to. This happened to someone in my office when they had left Rm. The solicitors letter threatened that debt collectors would be the next step so he paid up.

[baldrick]

spend it all... if they find out give them it back at a quid a week...

The guys who were overpaid shift allowance had to pay it back at £50 pw deducted from their wages.

[edinburghsteve]

Hopefully everything is going to be sorted this week. Yeah I know i'll have to payback the money, but i'll pay them back on agreed terms when they come looking for it.

[POSTMAN]

With regards to being overpayed,there are guidelines,they can't take what they want.
Info in the below thread.

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... ges#p23969

[TheLord]

spend it all... if they find out give them it back at a quid a week...

Don't listen to this advice. Put it to one side as they will find out sooner or later, you're better off contacting them to say you've been overpaid. If you eventually go back they'll just take it all back straightaway. If you don't go back then they might pass it on to debt collectors depending on how much is owed.

[marky]

spend it all... if they find out give them it back at a quid a week...

Don't listen to this advice. Put it to one side as they will find out sooner or later, you're better off contacting them to say you've been overpaid. If you eventually go back they'll just take it all back straightaway. If you don't go back then they might pass it on to debt collectors depending on how much is owed.

yes this is good advice.... eh the lord goodie two shoes..

[mal]

This may help;

Letter to Branches

No. 288/2004 Ref: PTC/DW/RE/cld Date: 22 June 2004

TO ALL BRANCHES WITH POSTAL MEMBERS

Dear Colleague

RE: OVERPAYMENTS RECOVERY PROCEDURE

As has been reported in previous letters to branches, the business changed its policy on recovery of overpayments in late 2002.

The policy change involved a much harder line being taken on recovery, with no facility to waive and recovery at a mininum 10% gross pay. Branches were asked to report problems arising from the change in policy to Head Office and a large number of cases have been received.

Legal advice was sought which did not prove helpful. It seems clear that the business is legally able to reclaim overpayments in full, by deduction from pay, without agreement, other than in very limited circumstances.

Discussions have taken place with the business over a long period, with a succession of managers. Jane Loftus and Kath Cronin initially dealt with this issue on behalf of the DGS Department and latterly Ray Ellis has picked it up.

The attached draft overpayments recovery procedure has been the subject of intensive and lengthy discussion and was endorsed by the PEC at its June meeting. The business is now anxious to roll out the policy, which represents a substantial improvement on the current position.

Commentary

The procedure commits Royal Mail “to dealing with overpayments in a reasonable and sensitive manner and with due regard to individual circumstances”.

It provides for notification to the individual by P&OS when the overpayment has been identified. This will provide full detail and options for recovery. It will also point out that advice can been obtained from the Union.

If this does not resolve the issue, the line manager will be informed and advised that they need to meet with and discuss the issue with the employee. Prior notice of interview must be given to the employee and they must be informed of their right to Union representation.

The procedure commits Royal Mail to seek recovery by agreement “wherever possible”. Recovery without agreement “will be a last resort and only applied after all reasonable efforts have been made to reach an agreement”.

Summary

It is a common misconception that the business cannot legally recover overpayments on wages without agreement – it can. The attached procedure commits the business to an approach designed to recognise individual circumstances, avoid creating hardship and seek an agreed basis for the payment. It allows some discretion to waive overpayments and crucially, builds in a role for the Union at the outset. It will enable our representatives to advise members and challenge any approach which does not accord with the terms and spirit of the procedure.

Yours sincerely



Dave Ward Ray Ellis
Deputy General Secretary (P) Assistant Secretary



OVERPAYMENTS RECOVERY PROCEDURE

1. Objective

The objective of this procedure is to provide advice and guidance for processing of overpayment of wages and expenses cases.

2. Introduction

2.1 The process and procedure set out below will be followed in all cases of overpayments, recognising the legal right and commercial obligation of the Business to recover overpayments and the need to ensure it has a consistent, efficient and legal policy on the recovery of overpayments of wages.

2.2 It is Royal Mail’s policy to pay wages on time and correctly, and every effort should be made to eliminate the overpayment of pay occurring. However, it is the duty of every employee to notify the Business immediately if they become aware of an overpayment in their pay.

2.3 Royal Mail commits to dealing with overpayments in a reasonable and sensitive manner and with due regard for individual circumstances.

3. Process and Procedure

3.1 Where an overpayment is discovered the total amount of the overpayment should be calculated and the reasons for the error established and recorded.

3.2 As soon as an overpayment has been established, People and Organisational Services will notify the employee concerned. This notification will clearly detail the amount of the overpayment, the circumstances that have led to it and the options available for recovering the monies that have been overpaid. The individual should also be informed that advice can be obtained from their Union.

3.3 Where the process in Para 3.2 (detailed above) does not resolve the issue then the employee’s Line Manager will be informed of the overpayment together with the reasons that have led to it occurring, the amounts involved, and advised that they now need to meet with and discuss this issue with the employee concerned.


3.4 The Manager will arrange an interview with the employee concerned. The employee should be given prior notice of the interview and informed that should they wish, the local Union Representative may accompany them to the interview. A record of this interview should be kept by the line manager and copied to the employee.

3.5 The purpose of the interview is to establish all additional relevant facts and any mitigating/personal issues that need to be taken into account. Normally, the outcome of this meeting will be an agreement to repay the overpayment in full, over an appropriate and agreed timeframe. However, in limited circumstances, this interview may lead to agreement that some or all of the overpayment is waived and in extreme cases that the whole overpayment is waived. The MCM/DOM will be responsible for making any final decision on waiving some or all of the overpayment, after seeking advice from their RSM (Advice and Support).

In making the decision referred to above, the following should be considered:-

• whether the Employee notified the Business of the overpayment and, if so, what actions were taken by Management
• whether the overpayment continued for a substantial period of time
• the value of the overpayment in question
• the employee’s personal circumstances.

3.6 Royal Mail’s policy is to seek recovery of overpayments of pay by agreement, wherever possible. However, Royal Mail reserves its statutory right to deduct from salaries any monies owed. The CWU notes it is Royal Mail’s policy to reclaim overpayments of wages in these situations by deducting 10% of the individual’s gross basic pay per pay period until the overpayment is fully recovered. This will be a last resort and only applied after all reasonable efforts have been made to reach an agreement with the employee concerned. Royal Mail commits to dealing with overpayments in a reasonable and sensitive manner and with due regard for individual circumstances throughout the period of the overpayment.


4. Key Principles

4.1 In all cases of overpayments an employee’s pay record/arrangements will be amended so as to rectify the overpayment at the earliest opportunity.

4.2 In cases of bulk overpayments, i.e., where there are two or more individuals, and they have been overpaid as a result of an error emanating from the same source, these may be treated as individual cases.

4.3 In the case of overpayments of less than £25 (pro rated for part time employees), People and Organisational Services will notify the employee that the amount will be automatically deducted in the next pay (whether that be weekly or monthly).

4.4 It is agreed that all underpayments of pay will be paid in full. Where there is an overpayment and an underpayment one will be offset against the other as appropriate.

4.5 Recovery of overpayments will not take place in cases where an employee has died. In instances where the business seeks to recover the monies from an employee who has died, this will be authorised by POS, in conjunction with the RSM (Advice and Support).

4.6 In instances where an employee has left the business, Royal Mail will seek to recover any overpayment. As soon as an overpayment has been established People and Organisational Services will notify the ex-employee concerned. This notification will clearly detail the amount of the overpayment, the circumstances that have led to it, and the options available for recovering the monies that have been overpaid. Debt recovery will be used in instances where reasonable efforts have been made and failed to reach an agreement on repayment of the overpayment.

4.7 Where an employee has given advance notification of leaving the business, the business will normally recover all outstanding monies owed from the employee’s final pay to repay the overpayment.


4.8 In instances where a casual employee is overpaid, People and Organisational Services will notify the employee concerned. This notification will clearly detail the amount the overpayment, the circumstances that have led to it, and the options available for recovering the monies that have been overpaid.

4.9 Overpayments identified as suspected fraud or contributory negligence will be dealt with under the terms of the appropriate national procedures.

4.10 Recovery of overpayments and the arrangements associated with the process will be applied in a timely way in order to ensure that the Business recovers the monies quickly and efficiently, and to minimise any anxiety caused to the employee.