Minus holiday pay

RJTI

Hello all,

I have been working part time for the last 3 years. (I wont disclose the company name) This job has supported me whilst in college but however I am now finished my degree (very soon) and have got a job with that. So all seems good, apart from when I went into my old employer to hand in my notice. They alerted me that in fact I was minus 140+ holiday hours, as in I owe them hours?? Firstly this is very strange as before christmas 2014 I was told by my employer to in fact take a week of holidays as I had some built up that needed to be take before the new year. I done as instructed and was even paid for it! I have not been working much since christmas with college but surely I would be entitled to something? Its not really about the money, more the principal as any payment will be small anyway. I just want to know if this is correct procedure? And Im not out to cause trouble just want to see if this can actually happen

regards

Mrs OBumble

Have you taken any more paid leave since Christmas?

RJTI

Well I only work 1 day a week with college, But no haven't asked for a specific period off. The odd day maybe, which would more often than not just be a swap with other staff member.

RJTI

But sorry actually no to answer your question no I definitely would not have been paid for any days I asked for off

Mrs OBumble

Sounds like it's some sort of computer or keyboard-chair-interface-unit glitch then - most likely the system gets confused with some types of part time.

Asd your manager for a list showing how that -140 hours came about.


Though - is it possible that your manager made a mistake at Christmas, and you didn't really have a leave balance then? Or you took too much leave - to be entitled to five paid days then, you would have had to work full time for about three months.

daheff

140 hours is about 3.5 full weeks holidays.

How much holiday time have you taken since you started working there?

How many hours have you worked? Generally you would get 1 hour holiday for each 8 hours worked (up to a max of 20 days per annum).

Talk to manager and ask for a breakdown of holiday hours taken

RJTI

Perhaps, but at that time it was the system that said I was owed holidays. For each year taken I have taken maby 2 summer weeks and then the odd week before christmas. Say max 3 weeks per year. I use to work 3-4 for during college times apart from this year where it became one due ton final year. And during the summer each year I would be working full time hours.


My main Question is? Can I actually be minus holiday hours???

Mrs OBumble

Yes, it's possible. You need a printout from the system showing how many paid hours you've had and how many paid leave hours you've had.

When you were off but got paid at Christmas, how many days were you paid out for. If it was more per week than you usually work, you could easily get into the negatives.

Irish_Elect_Eng

Yes, you can be in negative balance. I gave one of my staff 6 weeks paid vacation when he had only 2 weeks remaining as he wanted to do a "trip of a lifetime" He had a negative balance for about 2 years after that.

RJTI

Was paid for roughly 4-5 days.

RJTI

Irish_Elect_Eng wrote: »

Yes, you can be in negative balance. I gave one of my staff 6 weeks paid vacation when he had only 2 weeks remaining as he wanted to do a "trip of a lifetime" He had a negative balance for about 2 years after that.

Yeah that makes sense, But I didn't ask for the time off. They gave me a weeks holidays as they claimed I needed to take it before the year ending. So if the system showed that I was due holidays before christmas that I needed to take, how does it now claim I am -140 hours when I haven't taken any paid holidays since? Any holiday pay I have received I have been pretty sure is 8% of what I worked. I dont think I ever got more than I was due. In fact sometimes when I returned from paid leave I still hours built up.

Penny Tration

If you're mostly working one day per week, and full time during summer, and taking three full weeks of paid holidays per year, I'd say it sounds very likely that you them that many hours.

Say three months of full time hours in summer - that'd get you one week of holidays.

Maybe one more week throughout the year with the one day a week you work.

So, two weeks per year. You've taken three a year for three years. So you owe them about three weeks. Seems about right tbh

Stheno

Jenny Thalia wrote: »

If you're mostly working one day per week, and full time during summer, and taking three full weeks of paid holidays per year, I'd say it sounds very likely that you them that many hours.

Say three months of full time hours in summer - that'd get you one week of holidays.

Maybe one more week throughout the year with the one day a week you work.

So, two weeks per year. You've taken three a year for three years. So you owe them about three weeks. Seems about right tbh

Was just working out the same So it's possible

RJTI

Jenny Thalia wrote: »

If you're mostly working one day per week, and full time during summer, and taking three full weeks of paid holidays per year, I'd say it sounds very likely that you them that many hours.

Say three months of full time hours in summer - that'd get you one week of holidays.

Maybe one more week throughout the year with the one day a week you work.

So, two weeks per year. You've taken three a year for three years. So you owe them about three weeks. Seems about right tbh

Its only been one day since around January, all other times when not on summer break it was around 3-4 days per week. With full time over easter break and same with christmas.

Stheno

RJTI wrote: »

Its only been one day since around January, all other times when not on summer break it was around 3-4 days per week. With full time over easter break and same with christmas.

What you can also do is total up your hours for last year and calculate how much holidays you were due, compare it to what you were paid for and see if there is a difference

RJTI

Yeh I understand now thats its possible. But I was forced to take leave before christmas, as the same system that now says I owe them 140 hours said that I was due paid leave. There is no way since christmas that I have accumulated that number of negative hours WITHOUT taking any holidays, paid or non paid.

RJTI

Stheno wrote: »

What you can also do is total up your hours for last year and calculate how much holidays you were due, compare it to what you were paid for and see if there is a difference

Last year as in April 2014 to April 2015? or from January to now.

Stheno

No the whole of 2014?

RJTI

Stheno wrote: »

No the whole of 2014?

The issue I think is from this year though, as I doubt the system would pay me more holidays before xmas time like it did, if I was in a deficit?

TheChizler

Sounds like your manager messed up and you actually didn't have unused hours at the end of the year. Get a breakdown to be sure. I'd be pretty annoyed tbh but if you have been paid more than you were owed there's not much you can do if you want your reference.

CIARAN_BOYLE

RJTI wrote: »

The issue I think is from this year though, as I doubt the system would pay me more holidays before xmas time like it did, if I was in a deficit?

Maybe they messed up before Christmas. Ask your employer/payroll person to go through it with you.

RJTI

I mean there wouldn't have been a huge payout! Pretty worthless in fact. I just wanted to know if it was possible to go into minus hours. Seems that it is possible! And yeah like you say I still need a reference from them, and that added with the time and effort I would have to spend getting it back, to which I probably wont get anything anyway, its not really worth it !!

therecklessone

If they can tell you that you owe them hours, they should be able to give you a detailed break down of hours worked and holidays taken for the same period(s).

If they cannot do the latter then how can they claim the former?

Ask for the break down.

daheff

Also should it turn out that you do owe them hours (and money) agree a payment plan with them that suits you (seeing as they messed up and told you to take holidays you werent due).

notharrypotter

Typically for part time staff holiday entitlement accrues at the rate of 8 hours for every hundred worked.

If you have your pay slips for the time you worked you could work out roughly how much holiday hours you accumulated.

Match this against what you have taken to date.

Then compare your approximations with the printout that your employer has.