Company refusing to issue paper payslips - legalities?

[All that jazz]

Asking on behalf of a NIF - company he works for have decided that they will no longer be issuing paper payslips and instead will be issuing them ONLY via email. My friend is in his 70s and as you can imagine, is not from the internet generation so is rather unhappy with this. The company have told him there is no other option and he must set up an email account to receive his pay advice. I have set up a gmail account for him but again, trying to show and explain how it works to someone not clued up on the internet is hard work and frustrating for both him and me and I was wondering if there are any laws/legalities for this kind of thing as it seems grossly unfair to me? The company is point blank refusing to change their stance and the "best" they can offer if he wants a paper payslip is to get someone (ie. not them) to access his email and print it out for him (!).

Any thoughts, fellas?

[PurpleMoonlight]

If he has internet access surely this isn't that difficult for him.

It's a couple of clicks.

[PurpleMoonlight]

Says no (but perhaps vested interest):

http://www.payroll-help.com/faq/11206-only-electro...

Says yes:

https://www.gov.uk/payslips

Edited by PurpleMoonlight on Friday 26th August 06:12

[All that jazz]

PurpleMoonlight said:

https://www.gov.uk/payslips

Edited by PurpleMoonlight on Friday 26th August 06:12

Thanks. Useful. Re your earlier comment, if you've ever tried to teach the internet/email to someone well into their senior years you would know that "surely this isn't that difficult" is about as far from reality as you can get.

[PurpleMoonlight]

All that jazz said:

Thanks. Useful. Re your earlier comment, if you've ever tried to teach the internet/email to someone well into their senior years you would know that "surely this isn't that difficult" is about as far from reality as you can get.

I deal with people every day in their 70's and beyond using the internet.

[All that jazz]

PurpleMoonlight said:

I deal with people every day in their 70's and beyond using the internet.

Congrats.

[Vaud]

It's not illegal. Unless he has a protected condition under discrimination laws where the workplace needs to make an adaptation.

It is reasonable for an employer these days to require basic computer skills, for the purposes of training, etc Plenty of silver surfers in their 80s and 90s. There are often lots of local classes, etc for oaps, etc that might help him.

[rayny]

To clarify the position...

Quoted from the https://www.gov.uk/payslips link

"Employers can choose whether they provide printed payslips, or send them electronically (online)."

[DanL]

Mine don't even get sent to me - they're available on line on a website somewhere. I say somewhere as I've never checked them. So long as the monthly pay looks about right in my account I'm happy!

[Matt_N]

Should a company be sending payslips to a gmail / hotmail account anyway?

I guess he doesn't have a work email address then? If the company want to issue them electronically then should they provide the means (i.e. a secure email account) in order to do so?

[williamp]

maybe someone that age should retire and allow the younger generation to get a foothold on the career ladder

[anonymous-user]

All that jazz said:

PurpleMoonlight said:

https://www.gov.uk/payslips

Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 26th August 06:12

Thanks. Useful. Re your earlier comment, if you've ever tried to teach the internet/email to someone well into their senior years you would know that "surely this isn't that difficult" is about as far from reality as you can get.

Garbage. I have many aquaintances "well into their senior years". Without exception they're on line and quite happy communicating by e mail. Most have smart phones and know how to use them, too.

Might I suggest that your freind's issue may be to do with reasons other than age?

[Dave Hedgehog]

My MiL is 92 and uses google mail on an iPad

if she can anyone can, unless they are just being bloody minded

[Don]

Dave Hedgehog said:

if she can anyone can, unless they are just being bloody minded

My parents both learned to use computers in their early seventies. There were a few incidents where they needed some help but they could both do it...and this was a few years ago when computers were st in comparison to today's devices.

It was very sad when Alzheimer's took their late life but new found skills away.

I hope the OPs friend can, perhaps, embrace the modern tech and enjoy its benefits. It won't be going away...

[The Mad Monk]

All that jazz said:

Asking on behalf of a NIF - company he works for have decided that they will no longer be issuing paper payslips and instead will be issuing them ONLY via email. My friend is in his 70s and as you can imagine, is not from the internet generation so is rather unhappy with this. The company have told him there is no other option and he must set up an email account to receive his pay advice. I have set up a gmail account for him but again, trying to show and explain how it works to someone not clued up on the internet is hard work and frustrating for both him and me and I was wondering if there are any laws/legalities for this kind of thing as it seems grossly unfair to me? The company is point blank refusing to change their stance and the "best" they can offer if he wants a paper payslip is to get someone (ie. not them) to access his email and print it out for him (!).

Any thoughts, fellas?

Why don't you print it off for him?

[Vaud]

Don said:

I hope the OPs friend can, perhaps, embrace the modern tech and enjoy its benefits. It won't be going away...

Roughly this. OP, see if you can encourage them to see it as an opportunity rather than a threat - through hobbies, etc...

My MIL (70ish) loves it for gardening forums. My mother (late 60s) loves it for the museum that she works at - even ran a crowdfunding site with some support - though she still doesn't like email.

[All that jazz]

The question and debate was not about his PC and internet skills, it was about the legalities of issuing payslips only electronically. That question has now been answered, thanks. Nothing further to discuss here, thread can be closed.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Dave Hedgehog said:

My MiL is 92 and uses google mail on an iPad

An mate of a mate is 47, a roofer, and has no computer, email etc. He thinks it's all far to complex. He only got a mobile phone about a year ago because he was losing business. He has a fax machine and thinks it's cutting edge.

Mind you, he's a nice enough bloke, but you wouldn't have him as your phone a friend on Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, if you get my gist. Not the brightest firework in the sky.

A QPR fan...says it all.

[simoid]

Plenty of the older generation can't work a telly with more than 4 channels so purchasing a device, getting an Internet connection and combining it all to log in to an email account to get a payslip is about as likely as me swimming to Mars, tbh!

[HappyMidget]

Matt_N said:

Should a company be sending payslips to a gmail / hotmail account anyway?

I guess he doesn't have a work email address then? If the company want to issue them electronically then should they provide the means (i.e. a secure email account) in order to do so?

Always better sent to a personal account as they can then be accessed after termination of employment. Received my P45 through email to my Hotmail account yesterday which I promptly forwarded to my new HR dep't for my new payroll.