*reposted from Job Network, leaning towards coming forward with it but was interested in seeing this boards viewpoint too



just got back from vacation and looked at my payslip from 5/3(the day I left) and noticed I was paid double what I was supposed to for 4/15-4/28, scanning over it the only thing I can tell that they might have done wrong was adding my normal salary listed to the breakdown of salary + 1 day vacation pay I had in that period (instead of replacing), so I was also taxed at a higher rate but essentially paid for 4 weeks

its a pretty big chunk of money but not really worth getting in trouble(unlikely I know) or losing morality over, what's the proper step to take here, should I go to HR or act as if I didn't notice (since I was out in Hawaii all week), should I assume this will likely be caught and adjusted on my next check(this Friday) anyways? haven't recieved any notice that they've caught it yet

the company is a startup (~40 employees) med device company with a LOT of funding, capital expense $ is never really an issue of concern anywhere

Depends on their controls... It should have been caught before it was paid if properly timed controls were in place. That doesn't mean it won't be caught before this pay period or the next though. I would just let your boss know.

For some reason some people think that big errors in our favor can't be undone. I'm not saying you are one of these people. But how many people think that if a bank double records a deposit that they aren't entitled to get that extra money back?

Mistakes occur. Your employer might not have noticed now, but who knows if at quarter end or year end they don't notice it? What if they get audited? Then it will hurt you more to give it back. You have no right to keep it.

So you should say "hey - I think my last paycheck has an error. Please verify the amount."

Something here about integrity.

I'd have a big problem keeping money that I didn't earn. On the flip side, I'd also have a big problem with an employee that knew about me double paying them on accident and didn't bring it to my attention.

On some things, the right and wrong are pretty clear cut. I'd say this is one of those things.

Bring it to their attention and ask them to just adjust on the next check if possible (taxes and witholdings as well).

Similar thing happened to me. I brought it to my managers attention and he let me keep the extra $$.

Is this a real question?

Report it.

They'll eventually figure it out and withhold it from a future check or reverse the direct deposit.

[This message has been edited by Lostinla07 (edited 5/13/2013 3:38p).]

It would be worth asking.

We just changed our policy in Feb to allow hourly employees to be payed up to 48hrs/week of regular and sick/PTO. PTO/sick is paid at regular rate. In the past if you couldn't go over 40 with Sick/PTO, then it changed to 41hrs.

Maybe your company allows this.

Agree with most. Bring it to their attention.

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But how many people think that if a bank double records a deposit that they aren't entitled to get that extra money back?

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Ridiculous. Whenever I see a bank error in my favor, I pocket the $200 and keep on trucking. Sometimes I move on immediately, if I happen to have just rolled doubles.

As a business owner who does payroll if I found out I double paid an employee and the employee didnt bring it to my attention, that employee would go on my **** list and first time is needed to let someone go that employee would be on the chopping block. On the other hand if the employee brought it to my attention I would most likely let the employee keep it or give them some sort of bonus for being honest. I guess it really depends on your employment situation but in my business my employees know that we are all in it together and I try to foster that kind of environment. An employee that would take advantage of a mistake in their favor to the detriment of the company would not be the kind of employee I would want.

Integrity. You are an Aggie. Act like it.

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Integrity. You are an Aggie. Act like it.

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get it outta the account before they pull it back.

Is this really a question?

Go to HR immediately. The "should I see if they adjust my next check" is just you contemplating stealing money.

If your check had been short a week of pay, you'd definitely have contacted HR about their error. Why should this have been any different?

I don't see how what type of company it is or their financial situation has anything to do with your morality or lack thereof.

I got double paid one time, they just didn't pay me the next time

Yep best to bring it up and let them handle it.

Don't quote me on it but heard the company can reclaim that money up to 4 years from the time the mistake happened.

I was given $7K extra on my sign-on bonus and brought it up. Def a misake and had to cut a check back to the company but better now than 6 months when I don't have the money.

I have had it happen to me twice... both occasions I brought it up and they just let me keep the money anyway

When they find the error, if they can't take the funds from the account because you removed them as one suggested, they will just dock it from your next check.

An Aggies does not lie, cheat, or steal.

whether it was an error or not the money is still not yours. you get paid what you earn you did not earn this extra money so give it back.

Jf you hold on to the money and you know it was a mistake, it's theft. Ever hear those stories where the bank makes an error and the account holder withdraws the money and blows it on hookers and coke? Yeah, they get arrested for theft.

Even if it's not a crime, it's still an integrity thing. Aggies do not lie, cheat or steal. Seems to be all three here...

Come forward. I have been on the other side of a similar situation several times with expense reimbursement errors and we gave them a chance to come forward first and when they didn't.....accounting will catch this eventually. You also don't want an auditor coming to talk to you. If you don't get fired you will at best be looked at as dishonest for the duration of your likely un promotable time there.

Would be considered an ethics violation where I work. May not be fired if can lie convincingly that didn't notice, but it will be remembered.

Their testing you

They are testing you.....

Me fail engrish?! That's unpossible!

ethical issues aside - I have some experience from the other end of the transaction

we had an employee (salary+commission) who was termed a few years back right when I first started with my current employer

We properly reported it to our outsourced PR company but he needed to be paid his commissions, so they did that, but then did not remove him from salary - I didnt catch it until about a month later and they were able to reverse 1 of the 2 payments out to him, but were never able to recover the one that had been made several weeks prior and he refused to pay it back. We turned him over to a collection agency, but never recovered the funds.

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An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal

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If you were overpaid or think that you were, immediately tell the boss and tell the boss that you're going to go to HR, payroll (whatever it's called in your company) and get it straightened out--now. Whether or not it would ever be caught is irrelevant. Do not wait for someone else to catch the error. If the error is obvious and you don't report it, that begs a question: "Why didn't you report it?" And if is not obvious, report it anyway.

I think the 28 people telling the OP to give back the money should prove sufficient

Integrity

And, oh, I forgot to add this: If OP had to ask, what does that say about OP?
Q: If OP had noticed an underpayment error, what would have OP done and how long would have it taken to get to the source of the error? I think that I know the answers. All pay errors should be handled exactly the same. Case closed!

I am shocked this is even a question! Guess I was raised different.

I thought this was a Monopoly question.