Withholding Pay - 'Back Week'

Jamaican Me Crazy

My OH has just finished his second week in a new job. Naturally enough he was expecting to be paid this week for his first week of work. His manager has now informed him that he is not being paid for his first week that this week of pay is being held as a 'back week' which he will receive after he leaves.

Now, I am a HR manager and I process weekly and monthly payrolls and this concept of a 'back week' frustrates the hell out of me. We pay weekly in arrears, as do most companies I'm sure. The hours you work this week, you get paid for next week but you get paid for every hour you work!!

Is this normal to hold back a week of pay? I do not recall seeing it in his contract. I am urging him to press the manager on this and clarify if and when he leaves his final pay will be 2 weeks pay.

realdanbreen

Never heard of a back week. Working a week in hand as you describe is the norm. What is his overall impression of this outfit anyway? Are there many employees and how long are they operating.

Jamaican Me Crazy

My gut instinct is that the manager forgot to process his pay and now is blowing smoke up his a$$ to cover it.

They are part of a large, well known organisation but it is a small enough team in his location (think along the lines of a suburban bank branch). He is going to make inquiries with some of his colleagues today and see if this also happened to them when they started.

It's just annoying when you think you are getting paid and then you don't.

whomitconcerns

not normal, never heard of it. A deposit on a job?? Did he receive something from the company that he would have to pay for if he left in a certain amount of time maybe? Not that that excuses this weird practice?

Jamaican Me Crazy

whomitconcerns wrote: »

not normal, never heard of it. A deposit on a job?? Did he receive something from the company that he would have to pay for if he left in a certain amount of time maybe? Not that that excuses this weird practice?

It is weird isn't it!!! If I forgot to pay someone here they would be banging my door down and I would have to make other arrangements for them.

They have not given him anything that he would have to pay for. So many people confuse 'back week' for 'weekly in arrears' but this is blatantly not paying for a week at all and is just not acceptable.

thereitisgone

Working a week in hand used to be quiet common when i worked in Ireland and England but its over 20 years ago now. Not sure how much it has changed.

https://www.google.fi/search?q=working+a+week+in+hand&gws_rd=cr&ei=E_i5VY_2JYeCzAPG_rDQDg

Mrs OBumble

thereitisgone wrote: »

Working a week in hand used to be quiet common when i worked in Ireland and England but its over 20 years ago now. Not sure how much it has changed.

https://www.google.fi/search?q=working+a+week+in+hand&gws_rd=cr&ei=E_i5VY_2JYeCzAPG_rDQDg

When I do that google search, the links that I see say that "week in hand" means that you get paid one week in arrears.

So if you work Mon-Fri this week, you don't get paid for it this Friday, you get paid for it next Friday.

I would see what the OP has described as fortnight-in-hand, ie there is a two week delay between completing the work-week and getting paid for it.

Unacceptable IMHO for a weekly-paid job.

But - it comes down to how stable you think they are (will you get everything you're owed when you leave), and how easy it would be to get another job elsewhere.

Jamaican Me Crazy

We are going to double check his contract later. If it is not specifically mentioned he will push her on it tomorrow.

He thinks she made a mistake and is trying to cover it up. People make mistakes, it's not the end of the world but if she has she should just own up and make another arrangement for him.

thereitisgone

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

When I do that google search, the links that I see say that "week in hand" means that you get paid one week in arrears.

So if you work Mon-Fri this week, you don't get paid for it this Friday, you get paid for it next Friday.

I would see what the OP has described as fortnight-in-hand, ie there is a two week delay between completing the work-week and getting paid for it.

Unacceptable IMHO for a weekly-paid job.

But - it comes down to how stable you think they are (will you get everything you're owed when you leave), and how easy it would be to get another job elsewhere.

Sorry im reading the op as its they are holding back just the first week as back pay.

`His manager has now informed him that he is not being paid for his first week that this week of pay is being held as a 'back week' which he will receive after he leaves.´

If it was two weeks that would be unacceptable.

seamus

Sounds like the guy doing the payroll doesn't understand what a back week is.

In effect when he leaves the job, they'll have to continue paying him for 2 weeks afterwards. Maybe he's a bit of a chancer who tries to get away with paying guys just one week when they leave and hope they'll forget about it?

Lemming

This is my thought as well Seamus; I worked briefly for a courier company just after leaving school whilst waiting for college offers and they were crooked as hell with regards several areas of employee pay, including the use of weekly back-pay. After you left, they'd try to put paying you your last week on the long-finger in the hope that you'd just go away. Happened to me for about five weeks until my father rang them up and intimated to them that revenue & social welfare would be fascinated to hear why they were withholding my p45. The final pay cheque couldn't arrive quick enough.

So either whomever is in charge of pay has goofed up and is trying to cover their @rse or they're chancing their arm regards saving or pocketing themselves a few pennies at the expense of the OP's other half.

reeta

It was the norm 20 - 30 years ago to have to work a back week. This meant you didnt get paid when you started work for the first week. You got that week when you left the job. Didnt think it still happened now though !

daheff

Back weeks are still common in a lot of roles (espec lower grade construction/civil service/banking/roles).


OP I wouldn't be overly concerned by it (other than being out of pocket for the salary for a week).


If your OH has the same salary each week it wouldn't be too much of an issue. If your OH earns variable amounts you should see the payments in line with earnings, but 2 weeks in arrears.


Just think about it as being paid every 2 weeks in arrears (which is still better than having to wait a full month for the salary).

Jamaican Me Crazy

He pressed his manager and she had just forgotten to pay him and tried to cover it up!! She was magically able to contact payroll support and they were able to help her process his pay so he got it in the end.

So annoying though!

Thanks everyone for your advice. I knew it wasn't right.

Mycroft H

reeta wrote: »

It was the norm 20 - 30 years ago to have to work a back week. This meant you didnt get paid when you started work for the first week. You got that week when you left the job. Didnt think it still happened now though !

Happened in my last job. Basic mechanical tech work. Got the pay after my last week though that was after making sure it was due to me by emailing HR and my manager to confirm that I was due it. Helped preventing anyone from forgetting it.

ShaShaBear

As it happens, this is what happened my partner in his last job. He was so desperate to get it that he didn't question it - the weekly wage was very good. As time went on it turned out they were utter cowboys with regards to money and he had to fight tooth and nail to get every cent he was owed and still didn't get it all!