Not getting paid

Airyfairy12 · 03-12-2020 12:57am #1

I need advice about my wages. Im working part time and supposed to be paid fortnightly. Last pay day I was approached by the manager who told me he forget to put my hours in so I wouldnt be paid until the next pay day, almost a month away. I let it go as mistakes happen, its been a struggle this last month but was holding out for when I got my wages which was supposed to be today.
Wages never went in, I contacted my manager he apologized that he must have forgotten to put my hours in again. Its coming up to Christmas and I have 11 euro in my bank account, next pay day isnt for another 2 weeks.
What am I supposed to do?

03-12-2020 12:59am

What has your manager suggested?
Keep asking them.

Once is poor, twice is not acceptable.

Don't accept that it will be sorted in two weeks, payroll can make a payment out of cycle.

What size organisation is this?
Manager might want to fob you off so he doesn't look bad.

beggars_bush · 03-12-2020 1:00am

Ring Vincent DePaul
They should help

screamer · 03-12-2020 1:04am

Not good enough to not pay you. Id talk to your manager then call the payroll directly and ask for your wages to be paid out. Explain you've no money left and need your wages.

Airyfairy12 · 03-12-2020 1:04am

Thanks, @pg633 payments cant be made out of out cycle so im told.
@beggars bush Thanks but I really dont want to have to go begging for money, I just want this sorted.

sameoldname · 03-12-2020 1:06am

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

I need advice about my wages. Im working part time and supposed to be paid fortnightly. Last pay day I was approached by the manager who told me he forget to put my hours in so I wouldnt be paid until the next pay day, almost a month away. I let it go as mistakes happen, its been a struggle this last month but was holding out for when I got my wages which was supposed to be today.
Wages never went in, I contacted my manager he apologized that he must have forgotten to put my hours in again. Its coming up to Christmas and I have 11 euro in my bank account, next pay day isnt for another 2 weeks.
What am I supposed to do?

Get them to write you a cheque for your wages due. I've seen it done even in large companies where payment is normally directly into your account on a fixed date. If your manager puts up a fight about that then go straight to HR. Your manager messed up and it's his job to fix it immediately. Don't let them fob you off either.

mickdw · 03-12-2020 1:07am

I hope this is a decent sized business and not some fraud that just doesnt intend to pay at all.

03-12-2020 1:07am

Of course they can, they just don't want the hassle.
Who told you that? Manager or payroll/HR?

refusetolose · 03-12-2020 1:12am

this kinda sh** make my blood boil
i'd be snapping

ChikiChiki · 03-12-2020 1:15am

beggars_bush wrote: »

Ring Vincent DePaul
They should help

Before calling SVP, absolutely give the manager hell until he/she does the right thing here and makes a payment out of cycle. It's the run up to Christmas and this cannot be forgotten about.

Twice is shockingly unacceptable. Any imbecile would know that.

Remember the time my old man didn't get paid and he downed tools and sat in the middle of the courtyard on site and made a scene. I was working there on a summer labouring job at the time as a teen. He was paid quick enough then.

Airyfairy12 · 03-12-2020 1:15am

refusetolose wrote: »

this kinda sh** make my blood boil
i'd be snapping

Im fuming! I was depending on my wages this week, just paid off the car tax & insurance in one go thinking it's fine as im getting paid. He didnt even let me know this time that they didnt go in.

qwerty13 · 03-12-2020 3:53am

As others have said, you need to kick up an absolute stink about this. Any company - big or small - can work out the sums, and write you a cheque. Even messing up once with wages is not acceptable to me - as you said, people have bills! But twice is beyond ridiculous.

I’d firstly approach the manager and tell them that you literally can’t afford to live until you get paid. If nothing is happening (like with a half day) I’d approach HR in the guise of ‘there seems to be some mistake’. If neither of those yield any immediate results, approach your union. If you don’t have a union, I’d think it’s completely legit to go nuclear tbh. If it’s a small company / family owned place, I would push the emotional side, and then go nuclear.

Absolute bull that it can’t be resolved outside the payroll run. And even if it took them a load of hassle, so what. Anyone can make a mistake, but god you’d hope they’d hold their hands up and resolve it ASAP. But the same mistake twice, and claiming that there is nothing they can do? Bullsh*t.

Mrs O’Bumble on this forum is I think a HR practitioner. Be interested to read her views.

And your manager is either incompetent, or an absolute d*ck, or both. I don’t normally get THAT annoyed when replying to a post, but IMO you are being treated dreadfully. You’ve upheld your end of the deal (working your hours), and your employer has failed miserably at the most basic level (paying you for work completed. TWICE)

JustAThought · 03-12-2020 4:02am

I’d be concerned that the company might be going under or about to fold and you will be left with nothing. Send your manager an email saying you need your salary to eat and survive and that s/he will have to make arrangements for it to be paid from petty cash or other sources immediately -
you cannot wait or go without money you have worked for and earned for six weeks. If s/he replies by phone send a summary email and if it is not the reply you want (ie fob off) go up a level
on them to HR/payroll. I wouldn’t be hanging around waiting for a reply for longer than a day or two either. Mistake or not S/he’s covering their ass at your expense - I am livid for you.

Peregrinus · 03-12-2020 4:25am

This is appalling and horrifying - and seriously worrying. Kick up about your wages and keep kicking up until they sort this. Make it clear that waiting until next paydate is absolutely not acceptable to you and they should not waste their time or yours even suggesting it.

But, as soon as this is sorted, polish up your CV and start looking for jobs. The likelihood is that this business is severly cash-strapped, is scrabbling to find cash from day to day, and is going down the tubes. But even if that's not the case, if they are employing managers with this spectacular degree of incompetence, they're likely going down the tubes pretty soon anyway. You don't want to stick around.

qwerty13 · 03-12-2020 4:33am

Two very good points from JustAThought: do not be fobbed off, just in case they’re about to go under. But also very important to email everything back to your manager, even off the back of it allegedly being verbally resolved ‘I note that I raised my concerns on x, y, z dates, I still have not been paid for a, b, c dates - and detail the resolution they agreed to.

I wouldn’t wait longer than a half day for action tbh. And if you get a response saying ‘oh it’s with HR / the accountant / the payroll company’ - I’d email them and cc you manager. As in ‘I understand that you are tasked with resolving the urgent issue of failure to pay me for 2 payroll cycles. I cannot sustain failure to pay me. This must be urgently resolved’.

My instinct would be to literally say in any conversations and emails that you cannot afford to pay bills or eat. But perhaps cooler heads than mine would advise otherwise.

California Dreamer · 03-12-2020 8:48am

I am willing to bet that the manager hasn't gone without his wages!!!!

Muppet Man · 03-12-2020 9:40am

Kick up absolute stink. Go to HR. And get a new job in the new year. There is ALWAYS better jobs out there.

FutureGuy · 03-12-2020 9:42am

He is clearly incompetent. Go over his head.

03-12-2020 9:46am

Is this really for real? Dozens of people have just had their blood pressure shoot up contemplating this.

OP, If this is true what have you done this morning to get this sorted? Until sorted you need to escalate this until resolved TODAY. By resolved I mean payment made. Smh.

Dempo1 · 03-12-2020 9:50am

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

I need advice about my wages. Im working part time and supposed to be paid fortnightly. Last pay day I was approached by the manager who told me he forget to put my hours in so I wouldnt be paid until the next pay day, almost a month away. I let it go as mistakes happen, its been a struggle this last month but was holding out for when I got my wages which was supposed to be today.
Wages never went in, I contacted my manager he apologized that he must have forgotten to put my hours in again. Its coming up to Christmas and I have 11 euro in my bank account, next pay day isnt for another 2 weeks.
What am I supposed to do?

This is outrageous and unacceptable, not withstanding legally suspect. I'm afraid your manager is either ducking and diving or just incompetent. I'm wondering is their a payroll department you can reach out too? my fear is there's an underlying financial problem at your place of work, are other colleagues having difficulty with wage payments?

sbsquarepants · 03-12-2020 9:56am

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Thanks, @pg633 payments cant be made out of out cycle so im told.
@beggars bush Thanks but I really dont want to have to go begging for money, I just want this sorted.

Payments can be made anytime, they just don't want to because it's hassle. Tell him you want your money today or you'll be getting on to his boss to get it sorted.

That is completely unacceptable. It's a job, not a bloody hobby!

Busi_Girl08 · 03-12-2020 10:05am

sbsquarepants wrote: »

Payments can be made anytime, they just don't want to because it's hassle. Tell him you want your money today or you'll be getting on to his boss to get it sorted.

That is completely unacceptable. It's a job, not a bloody hobby!

To be honest I'd be getting onto their boss anyway. Forgetting to pay someone once is a glaring oversight, forgetting to pay someone twice is gross incompetence.

cml387 · 03-12-2020 10:13am

There's something odd here. Unless it's a very small company, there should be a wages department across this,who flag the problem to the manager before it gets to the point where you are not paid.

Certainly a manager who allowed this to happen in our place would be having a chat with HR.

daheff · 03-12-2020 10:16am

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Thanks, @pg633 payments cant be made out of out cycle so im told.

thats absolute BS. Tell them they are in breach of contract (i'm assuming you have a contract).

And start looking for a new employer

jrosen · 03-12-2020 11:15am

You have not been added to the payment list for whoever does payroll.

Call him back and tell him you will accept a cheque and your on the way to pick it up. Alternatively who is the owner/boss? Make it your business to get contact details and report to them you have no gone unpaid twice.

Snotty · 03-12-2020 11:20am

daheff wrote: »

thats absolute BS. Tell them they are in breach of contract (i'm assuming you have a contract).

They do not need a physical contract, they have worked hours for this company and have been informed of when wages are paid, it has not happened, this is a breach of contract.

Bicyclette · 03-12-2020 11:26am

There is an act called the Payment of Wages Act https://www.employerresources.ie/payment-of-wages-act.html#:~:text=The%20payment%20of%20wages%20act,negotiable%20mode%20of%20wage%20payment.

They can't just stop paying you.

If they aren't paying you, they also aren't paying your Social Insurance. That is equally as important as your wages because this will cover you if you become unemployed. You need to go on to MyAccount on www.revenue.ie and see if they are actually paying your Social Insurance and have been all along.

If I were you, I'd give Workplace Relations in Carlow a buzz. They are generally very responsive and exceptionally helpful. They will give you lots of really good advice. https://www.workplacerelations.ie/en/contact_us/

You need to be very proactive about this. And quickly. You've let it slide once and its happened again. You are heading to the end of the tax year as well. So you need to ensure that you are being paid against this year's allowances. Which means being paid before the end of this month.

Airyfairy12 · 03-12-2020 4:20pm

Thanks everyone, I was disheartened and upset as its so close to Christmas and yes, twice is not on at all.
The manager is really nice and ive no doubt this was a mistake on his part and I will get what im owed. I went to him today and told him that I was really relying on my pay and have no other money. He agreed to write a check for two weeks pay so thats it sorted for now.
Thank for the advice.

Busi_Girl08 · 03-12-2020 4:48pm

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Thanks everyone, I was disheartened and upset as its so close to Christmas and yes, twice is not on at all.
The manager is really nice and ive no doubt this was a mistake on his part and I will get what im owed. I went to him today and told him that I was really relying on my pay and have no other money. He agreed to write a check for two weeks pay so thats it sorted for now.
Thank for the advice.

That's great, but has he given you the cheque, or just agreed? If the latter keep on top of it in case he 'forgets' again.

I'm guessing you're in a retail or similar environment but have you anything in writing from him at all? Do you hand in your time sheet by paper or by email? Just to have some sort of paper trail of who said what and when, what was promised and actioned would be useful from now on.

He could be the nicest guy in the world, but it is still really worrying that this manager is so lackadaisical about paying his staff

03-12-2020 4:54pm

Glad you got sorted, if that cheque is safely lodged!

But his not arriving with the cheque in hand the first time this happened, full of apologies, was absolutely unacceptable

His letting it happen again was absolutely unacceptable and a serious question mark over fitness to manage people who have to eat

His letting it happen twice and then you to have to go begging for a cheque?

He should be disciplined, no question. Nicest in the world or not

03-12-2020 5:07pm

Why only two weeks, were you not owed more?

Bicyclette · 03-12-2020 5:13pm

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Thanks everyone, I was disheartened and upset as its so close to Christmas and yes, twice is not on at all.
The manager is really nice and ive no doubt this was a mistake on his part and I will get what im owed. I went to him today and told him that I was really relying on my pay and have no other money. He agreed to write a check for two weeks pay so thats it sorted for now.
Thank for the advice.

You need to cash that cheque ASAP. And you need to make sure your Social Insurance has been paid.

Just because someone is nice, doesn't mean they won't do someone over. Just because someone promises something doesn't mean they will do it.

This is a business arrangement. You are exchanging your labour for his money. At the moment he has had your labour but hasn't paid you for it.

kravmaga · 03-12-2020 5:15pm

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Thanks everyone, I was disheartened and upset as its so close to Christmas and yes, twice is not on at all.
The manager is really nice and ive no doubt this was a mistake on his part and I will get what im owed. I went to him today and told him that I was really relying on my pay and have no other money. He agreed to write a check for two weeks pay so thats it sorted for now.
Thank for the advice.

A cheque will have to be lodged and cleared , that could take 5 working days.

I would have demanded payment via EFT into your bank account, not that difficult to do, plus its his mistake( twice) not acceptable.

Get the CV done up and get a new job, sounds like your working for a mickey mouse operation.

No disrespect to you though, your manager sounds incompetent , not to put through your salary twice is a RED flag.

Airyfairy12 · 03-12-2020 6:21pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Why only two weeks, were you not owed more?

Yes im owed a months pay, the only way im looking at it is when I do get paid properly in two weeks, ill get 4 weeks pay all at once.

screamer · 03-12-2020 6:30pm

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Yes im owed a months pay, the only way im looking at it is when I do get paid properly in two weeks, ill get 4 weeks pay all at once.

make sure you remind him to put in your hours. you don't want to be left with no wages that close to christmas.

FishOnABike · 03-12-2020 6:55pm

I'd be happier if the full four weeks arrears were paid in full by electronic funds transfer into my account. While a cheque is credited to your account when lodged, the amount can be debited again if the cheque doesn't clear.

03-12-2020 7:17pm

screamer wrote: »

make sure you remind him to put in your hours. you don't want to be left with no wages that close to christmas.

Exactly. You are now fully within your rights to ask what date he needs to forward your information to payroll. ALSO make sure he includes ALL the hours due, just in case he "forgets". Check with him on deadline day again the hours have been put through.

California Dreamer · 03-12-2020 9:55pm

Nice don't pay the rent!

That is YOUR money, no simple way of saying it...YOUR MONEY!

Work done, f**k you pay me!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XGAmPRxV48

Mrs OBumble · 03-12-2020 11:38pm

qwerty13 wrote: »

Mrs O’Bumble on this forum is I think a HR practitioner. Be interested to read her views.

I'm not! (Just a former public servant working on labour market issues, former union delegate, former manager, and now a mix of contractor / temp depending on the day .. )

I'd add very little to what was said.

To me this smells of some kind of fraud. Hard to say exactly what, without knowing more about the business.

Except - OP was it a personal or business cheque that he wrote you? Very unusual that a manager would even have a business cheque book, I think. Many people don't even have a personal one, too. Can you ask the bank for priority clearance for it (might be too late now).

And I'd be job hunting. As someone said above, once is a mistake, twice is gross incompetence. If he's doing this with payroll (= a manager's single biggest responsibility), what's he doing to the rest of the business.

qwerty13 · 04-12-2020 11:36pm

Didn’t mean to put you on the spot Mrs O’B. I’ve just always found your posts knowledgeable and to the point.

And a very good point you raise re a personal-v- corporate cheque. I completely agree re job hunting.

Electric · 04-12-2020 11:47pm

OP, if your employer has been messing you about on wages, then I'd wonder have they been making PRSI returns for you?

I would suggest requesting your PRSI contributions statement from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP). It can be done online at www.mywelfare.ie.

A gap in your PRSI contributions record can mean that you don't qualify for some social welfare benefits, like illness benefit, maternity benefit, or the state pension.

If your employer hasn't been making the correct returns, you can make a complaint to the Scope Section in DEASP

Strumms · 05-12-2020 2:32am

whats the craic with issuing a cheque ? Presumably you are paid into your bank, so why can’t this individual organize a transfer to your bank ? it will clear slightly quicker and save you the trip to the bank...they fućk up and as a result in the middle of a pandemic you are queuing in a bank because of their incompetence... if it happens again I’d be escalating to the most senior manager going, fûck HR.... once is bad form, twice careless, three times just a gigantic incompetent piss take... to be honest if I was a senior manager and my employee or employees were responsible for somebody not being paid... first time.. verbal, second time written warning, third time... goodnight..

Optimalprimerib · 13-12-2020 10:26am

It sounds like a small company but if they have a hr department I would still go to them about this even if it is all paid up. If not I would go to that work welfare place someone brought up. Something is not quite right and you are way way way too nice about it.

Your manager is a dangerous person, being nice does not veto him from 2 horrendous oversights.

Airyfairy12 · 13-12-2020 9:32pm

Thanks everyone, he's not a dangerous person and he is making PRSI returns, to be honest I dont think he has any control over that, he simply puts all the staffs names into the computer and the payment sector deal with it from there. He just forgot to put my name in but all is sorted now and im sure it wont happen again, if it does, ill have words with him. Thanks again everyone for the replies.

Macker1 · 13-12-2020 9:44pm

As most others have stated....this simply is not acceptable. First time is bad enough but to do it again is disgraceful.

I have a team of 16 people and the most important task above all else is making sure that their hours / on-call / any payments due are logged correctly on time so nobody gets left short on my account.

Really piss poor of any manager at any time but especially so coming up to Xmas.

h2005 · 13-12-2020 9:57pm

What size of a company is this? Messing around with salary like this is a massive red flag. I'd be looking elsewhere, it doesn't sound like this company is liquid

Darc19 · 13-12-2020 10:03pm

h2005 wrote: »

What size of a company is this? Messing around with salary like this is a massive red flag. I'd be looking elsewhere, it doesn't sound like this company is liquid

You base that on this thread?

Wow.

Did you even bother to read the final post of the op or just jump in with an utterly ridiculous ASSumption?

JayRoc · 13-12-2020 10:15pm

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Thanks everyone, he's not a dangerous person and he is making PRSI returns, to be honest I dont think he has any control over that, he simply puts all the staffs names into the computer and the payment sector deal with it from there. He just forgot to put my name in but all is sorted now and im sure it wont happen again, if it does, ill have words with him. Thanks again everyone for the replies.

Sorry but that is not on. I have been a small business owner a few times and if I ****ed up paying one of my lads even once I would have met them, immediately, with my own cash. Putting up with not being paid for over a month and then getting just a fraction of what you are owed....? If you don't mind me asking, OP, are you quite young/is this your first job?

Edit: I would echo (and I appreciate this is an easy thing for a randomer on the internet to say, but seriously..) the advice to look for alternative employment. A boss's primary concern is making sure his people are paid on time, what they are owed. If not GTFO

STB. · 13-12-2020 10:37pm

Darc19 wrote: »

You base that on this thread?

Wow.

Did you even bother to read the final post of the op or just jump in with an utterly ridiculous ASSumption?

I am in agreement with the person you are ripping into.

I read the OP posts. There is still nothing acceptable about it. "Forgetting" to put someone on the payroll is no oversight.

It stinks of gross incompetence, cash flow problems or some stroke that I haven't figured out.

The "manager" has written out a cheque (unclear whether personal or business) for 2 weeks pay. The OP is owed a months pay, so I gather they are paid fortnightly. The try on's keep on coming. Who in their right mind thinks its acceptable to say sorry I forgot to put you in again and not offer an immediate resolution. Either way this cheque doesn't comprise PRSI etc and is a mess in a few weeks.

WOW indeed.

h2005 · 13-12-2020 10:43pm

Darc19 wrote: »

You base that on this thread?

Wow.

Did you even bother to read the final post of the op or just jump in with an utterly ridiculous ASSumption?

I read the first post and replied. Jesus your life must be pretty miserable if that's your response to a post :eek:

Darc19 · 14-12-2020 12:02am

h2005 wrote: »

I read the first post and replied. Jesus your life must be pretty miserable if that's your response to a post :eek:

So you can tell the financial health of a company by a couple of posts and the poster accepting it was an error.

As I said Wow!

I'd say something else regarding your post, but would probably banned

Not getting paid

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