Agreed overtime not paid after 6 months - options?
Discussion
Hi guys. Any advice welcome. 
I work for a private company contracted to the County Council. During May to August, I did a fairly extensive amount of work on the Olympics, which led to a claim of 80-odd hours of overtime.
About 4 months ago, I was paid 18 hours. After much chasing of HR and Payroll, and a promise to me that the balance would be paid this month (end of November paydate), they've ballsed it up and paid me the same 18 hours, not the outstanding 60-something hours, and to top it off they're 6 weeks behind with expenses payments.
(It comes to somewhere around a grand, owed to me.)
Anyway, this morning I walked out. Lack of clear options and nobody willing to take on the task of sorting it out, I got rathe frustrated and angry and just left. No real issue as I have flexible working and nobody really noticed.
So. Short of standing on the HR lady's desk, is there anything I can do? Talking to line management just gets me open-ended statements of "I'll email someone" etc. The main Director has openly said he won't deal with us plebs, that's what line management are for. Can I legally refuse to work until they pay me?
I work for a private company contracted to the County Council. During May to August, I did a fairly extensive amount of work on the Olympics, which led to a claim of 80-odd hours of overtime.
About 4 months ago, I was paid 18 hours. After much chasing of HR and Payroll, and a promise to me that the balance would be paid this month (end of November paydate), they've ballsed it up and paid me the same 18 hours, not the outstanding 60-something hours, and to top it off they're 6 weeks behind with expenses payments.
(It comes to somewhere around a grand, owed to me.)
Anyway, this morning I walked out. Lack of clear options and nobody willing to take on the task of sorting it out, I got rathe frustrated and angry and just left. No real issue as I have flexible working and nobody really noticed.
So. Short of standing on the HR lady's desk, is there anything I can do? Talking to line management just gets me open-ended statements of "I'll email someone" etc. The main Director has openly said he won't deal with us plebs, that's what line management are for. Can I legally refuse to work until they pay me?
OpulentBob said:
Short of standing on the HR lady's desk, is there anything I can do?
That's the first thing I would be doing. Sack off the "day job" and make it tomorrow's job to get it sorted, and don't accept "we'll do it next month", "i don't have authority to.." answers.As for the MD not dealing with you plebs - ignore it. Start copying him in.
An employment tribunal claim for breach of contract (which you could make whilst still employed) might get the company's attention, but would obviously be a fairly robust step, so before you do that, contact the mosts senior person you can.
In the meantime, you would be best to keep working, unless you want to leave the company.
In the meantime, you would be best to keep working, unless you want to leave the company.
Thanks.
I'm in the middle of a restructuring process too, so I'm pretty sure I've shot myself in the foot and have earned my marching orders. You're right, a claim would get the mans attention, and would be the quickest way to him opening the coffers. As you say, it's a big step to make. But do I want to continue working for a company that keeps screwing up? It needs some thought. My mortgage won't pay itself!
Thank you again.
I'm in the middle of a restructuring process too, so I'm pretty sure I've shot myself in the foot and have earned my marching orders. You're right, a claim would get the mans attention, and would be the quickest way to him opening the coffers. As you say, it's a big step to make. But do I want to continue working for a company that keeps screwing up? It needs some thought. My mortgage won't pay itself!
Thank you again.
Rather than being silly about it why not raise a formal grievance as you will probably find that is what your handbook will say.
People behaving like kids even if you have been wronged means you will be treated like kids and you will rapidly lose any support you may have had from your employers.
People behaving like kids even if you have been wronged means you will be treated like kids and you will rapidly lose any support you may have had from your employers.
Tom8 said:
Rather than being silly about it why not raise a formal grievance as you will probably find that is what your handbook will say.
People behaving like kids even if you have been wronged means you will be treated like kids and you will rapidly lose any support you may have had from your employers.
+1 good advicePeople behaving like kids even if you have been wronged means you will be treated like kids and you will rapidly lose any support you may have had from your employers.
raise a formal grievance in the described way in your handbook, if you dont have such a thing send a letter stating formal grievance on the top to the hr director, state facts not opinions, give a deadline for resolution, say within 7 days.
At least if it all goes TU you have followed a sensible route.
Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff