Over payment of expenses

[mike325112]

I've just found out that I was overpaid some expenses in January this year. I had been paid an advance for something to pay myself and then send reciepts in. The mechanism to submit the reciepts was through an expense claim with a note on it saying 'to be taken from advance', I have done this on all occasions.

Fast forward to yesterday when I recived a call saying I had been overpaid expenses. Payroll are claiming that they did not recieve the front sheet stating to be taken from advance and just paid me the for reciepts that I had submitted with the claim (I'm not sure how as they were stappled to the sheet).

I should have realised that extra funds were going into my account. As I was on a secondment at the time I wasnt checking my accounts as well as I should have been and I no clue of this until yesterday.

Is there an acceptable limit as to how long firms can claim back overpayments from staff? If it were the other way round and I had not claimed for something, our company policy is that all expenese should be claimed for within 3 months, so i would have been told to poke it.

[Eric Mc]

Nope - you should pay the excess amounts back.

If you plead hardship - your employer should work out a staged repayment schedule for you.

[Sir Bagalot]

Two comments for you...

1/ I always find it funny how people never seem to notice getting overpaid... but always notice immediately when underpaid.

2/ Lets say they underpaid you by the same amount and you noticed months later..... Would you want paying the full amount immediately? Or would you allow them to pay you in installments?

Just saying like;)