Salary Overpayment - Negotiating Clawback?

[NoPackDrill]

My previous employer has overpaid me - I didn't notice, less than £1k. They have sent me a letter which says they'll be sending me an invoice and then 'discussing' a repayment scheme. In a normal year, I'd probably just pay it straight back, but . . .

a) This is 100% their cock-up, the tone of the letter has moderately pissed me off, and I have quite enough other stuff going on at the moment;

b) I am just about to start paying back a £4k overpayment by my new employer! I started in June, and only noticed in August that salary payment was too meaty, and told them straight away. This one I'm more sympathetic with, as contract was very rushed (finally agreed at 16:45 on the afternoon before my start date). They offered me a six month schedule, but I asked for four so that it's clear this year.

I don't think I've ever been overpaid before, and now twice this year!

Anyway, could I charge old employer an admin fee? (Only half joking). Otherwise, what do you reckon I should offer? (I have the cash, it's just me not wanting to be my usual pushover self).

[Arrivalist]

Why be a prick about it? How would you feel if they underpaid you and then dicked you about?

I’m sure that deep down you know the answer.

[Terminator X]

Get another job and keep it?

TX.

[xx99xx]

Doesn't matter if you're seen to be a pushover or not, you don't work for them any more so it's not like they're going to shaft you with extra work, rubbish pay rise etc

[shirt]

Arrivalist said:

How would you feel if they underpaid you and then dicked you about?

It sounds like he’s a contractor so that would be a regular occurrence

[Wacky Racer]

If you can afford it. just pay it back and have done with it.

If not, spread it over four months or something.

What would you want if it was the other way round? I think you know the answer.

[Countdown]

NoPackDrill said:

Anyway, could I charge old employer an admin fee? (Only half joking). Otherwise, what do you reckon I should offer? (I have the cash, it's just me not wanting to be my usual pushover self).

I'm curious as to how they managed to overpay you. Were you

1. PAYE on their books
2. Agency temp
3. self employed contractor

For (2) and (3) they would pay on receipt of invoice and a decent Purchase Ledger system would stop the same invoice being paid twice. If you were PAYE on their books then overpayments can happen if you weren't recorded promptly as a Leaver.

To answer your question - I'd repay them. Keeping money that wasn't mine wouldn't sit right with me.

YMMV

[AB]

This happened to a friend of mine who used the money to pay off a credit card in full and then agreed to pay their (previous) employer back the same monthlies they were to clear the CC. Benefited him to the tune of the interest.