"Ronald Raygun" wrote in message
news:7iyUj.21516$yD2.17926@text.news.virginmedia.com...
> Rob graham wrote:
>
>> "Top Man" wrote in message
>> news:68fitoF2sdkg3U1@mid.individual.net...
>>> At my workplace I do extra training work with students for which I get a
>>> small amount of money extra.
>>>
>>> In February I got a little more more than normal (about £400) but this
>>> was covered by a letter from my employer telling me that I was to
>>> receive
>>> this higher amount a few weeks before.
>>>
>>> Yesterday I was told that my employer made a mistake and the amount paid
>>> should have been what it normally is!!! They will recoup the extra pay
>>> by
>>> not paying me for the extra work I do until the money is repaid.
>>>
>>> Is this legal? After all I have a letter from them saying that was the
>>> money to be paid to me and that's what I got!!!
>>
>> They made a mistake. Are you not allowing them to put it right? If you'd
>> made a mistake would you expect the 'victim' to be obdurate?
>>
>> If a bank paid you someone else's money would you expect to keep it?
>
> In normal circumstances, you'd be quite right. A mere *administrative*
> mistake such as a bank giving money to the wrong person, or an employer
> overpaying someone as a result of an error in arithmetic, should usually
> just be corrected immediately, since the recipient should not have
> expected the extra money anyway.
>
> This case does seem a little different, though. Here the chap was
> told in advance that he was going to get a bonus, and then he was in
> fact given it. It was *not* a simple mistake, but a serious one.
>
> You can't just go and tell someone how marvellous they've been and
> to expect a reward, and then give them the reward, and later tell
> them you've made a mistake and they're not really as marvellous as
> all that and could they give back the reward please.
>
> I think in *this* case, unusually, in the interest of good staff
> relations, the employer should write off the loss and consider it
> "punishment" for having made this serious mistake [which presumably
> was that they really meant to reward a different employee, which of
> course they should still do], and to consider themselves lucky if
> the OP generously agrees to give back *part of* the dosh.
>
I think, on reflection, that my initial reaction was a bit harsh, albeit we
are still not sure of all the actual issues. I think I suffered from a
knee-jerk reaction to the sort of mindset that seems so common nowadays
where it's always someone else's fault, and can I have my money back please.
One instance of this is in a recent post where the OP thinks he should get
refunded the £100 late return fine he got when he eventually sends in his
tax return. Another is a case locally to me where an individual signed up to
a joint 'jolly' and paid the £10 deposit, then decided he couldn't come
after all and wanted the deposit back. Just what do people think a deposit
is?
However, I'm now having a rant.
Rob
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