Employer overpaid bonus - would you pay it back?

maddog411

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Location
Harrisburg, NC
I don't know why I'm asking on this board, but here goes:

I got promoted into a bonus eligible position at work in June. The company fiscal year ended at the end of August, and bonus for the fiscal year was paid out about a month ago. My boss didn't know what my bonus would be at review time so he looked into it. At first he found out HR had given me the new pay but not the new pay grade so I would get no bonus. He had HR fix that, but they ended up paying me bonus as if I had been in this position the whole fiscal year. After taxes they overpaid me about $2100.

I heard from HR about it last week. They aren't going to go back into my account and try to get the money, but they want me to pay it by the end of this calendar year. I suppose paying it back is the right thing to do, but I'm pissed about how the whole thing was handled, plus I'm dealing with an HR "middleman" who can only relay messages back and forth. I guess I'm having doubts about doing it now so I wanted some other people's thoughts...
 
if you like your job, pay it back.
 
Wait, you have been listening to Obama haven't you? 2 words, stop it!
 
Keep the money. Then we you get fired obama will have your back.
 
Haha, where I work they have no problem taking money back. If I'm over payed, $200 gets deducted every check until they are paid back. I don't mind that system, I just consider it a no interest loan but it would bring the suck to have to pay it back lump sum.
 
Were i work if they screw up an pay u more no matter how much it is they take it all at once out of one check which sucks when it aint ur fault

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk 2
 
You admit on an open forum that you recieved money that was not yours.
Yet you ask for advice?
Terrible...
Ethics and morality are my friend.
Flame on haters, i don't give a shit what you think about me.
Later, Paul...
 
Happened to me back when i was a teenager. The bookkeeper was in the wrong, but I didn't even know I was being overpaid. I had left for a new job 3 weeks before the former Boss discovered the Bookkeepers mistake. He called me & we had a Long talk about it! About 6 months later my conscience got me, & I called him to repay the overage. He told me just to donate it to my Church, & wished me well! And that's what I did!

Was it Jerry Clower, once said: " If you have to ask, if it's wrong, then it is"!
 
rodney eppes said:
Happened to me back when i was a teenager. The bookkeeper was in the wrong, but I didn't even know I was being overpaid. I had left for a new job 3 weeks before the former Boss discovered the Bookkeepers mistake. He called me & we had a Long talk about it! About 6 months later my conscience got me, & I called him to repay the overage. He told me just to donate it to my Church, & wished me well! And that's what I did!

Was it Jerry Clower, once said: " If you have to ask, if it's wrong, then it is"!
Click to expand...

I believe the OP's conscience is talking to him as we speak.

OP: Why would you not pay it back? You probably knew you were over paid the day you opened your check.

What if that was a test for your next promotion? You FAILED!
 
Here's something to keep in mind - when they say "pay it back", does that mean they are expecting you to give them a check?
Or that they will withhold that amount from a payment to you?
This matters for taxes! You could get accidentally screwed.

The money paid to you thus far has been (or will be) reported to the IRS as income, and the company should have withoeld a % for taxes (soudns like they have).
If you write them a check to pay it back, the IRS won't know that you gave it back and you'll still owe the tax on that money!
So don't do that or you'll be screwed! Instead it is better to have them withold the amount owed from another check to you - and make sure it happens before Dec 31st!
 
I would make sure they fix it so it properly reflects on your taxes, as previously stated. That's the part that sucks the most is having to deal with HR and accounting. I would certainly want to talk face to face with the person who is responsible for fixing the problem, that way you both know and understand what is going to happen. Not sure how big this company is, but they should still personal about it. The last time our accountant forgot to deduct some money from my check, she called me in the shop and told me she had forgotten and would take it from my next check.

It always looks good on you to be proactive towards fixing the problem, even though it wasn't your fault at all. Honestly and trust go a long way when it comes to promotions, pay raises, and how much your employer likes you. If it were me, I would ask them to divide the difference up over the next two or three paychecks so it is straigthened out by the end of this year.
 
Yeah, tell the middleman to get lost .... and company with a HR department will have ways to escalate ... deal with the decision maker.
Then, do what's right.
It pretty much seems they are gonna get it anyway, so why not do it in a way that reflects you in a good way?

Matt
 
Like mentioned above, it could be a test. DID you already spend it? If not get with the top accounting person.... on your own time, and ask to give it back if you still have it. Get a receipt when it's corrected, but do it now. It will reflect your trustworthiness and moral character to your employer, always a good thing when they are needing to shuffle positions within the company. They will remember that you can be counted on to be honest. And were you to quit there even in the future, I'm sure a favorable reference would be given to you towards your next employer.
You know whats right obviously, so do it. As times get tough, it might mean the difference between a layoff or not, and in your favor.
 
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