Check your pay slips for mistakes

[Kalergie]

Guys, please check your pay slips for mistakes in your salary deductions. My company has just changed the payment system due to mergers and the health insurance deductions were too high by about 125$/month. Not a single person of our 500+ workforce had noticed. I inquired about the possible mistake to payroll and they were like OOOOPS!

I guess I have saved my coworkers a lot of money (it adds up over time).

What shocked me was the fact that no one noticed!

[Mississippi Mudstache]

No doubt. I caught that my company had failed to match my 401k contributions for something like 6 straight pay periods. I'm still trying to get that nonsense sorted out.

[forummm]

My pay stubs show my employer has underpaid me the entire time I've been there. But it was intentional.

[Laurel]

Two weeks ago my employer shorted me 1k from my paycheck, and while they cut a check the day I pointed it out to them, I'm still waiting on my 401k deposit from that make-up check to land in my account... gonna walk over to HR in a few minutes to ask what the hold-up is.

We're currently working with DH's employer because his 401k deductions & match are not being deposited in his account...for about 8 months, save April. (WHY.) I'm super embarrassed it took us this long to notice, but we thought they were deposited quarterly (and the April deposit threw us off) so we kept waiting to see if a large amount would be added--only to find out they were supposed to be deposited monthly.

[Gone Fishing]

Company tried to short me a day's pay when I started.  Found an error in the 401(k) election software for a 34,000 employee company. 

[CletusMcGee]

This is doubly true for hourly workers.  When I was younger, nearly every company I worked for as an hourly drone engaged in wage theft if you let them.

[Gone Fishing]

This is doubly true for hourly workers.  When I was younger, nearly every company I worked for as an hourly drone engaged in wage theft if you let them.

+1 Wage theft is rampant. 

I would have never let them do it to me, but at one place I worked (fast food), the manager went in and manually deleted some of an older workers time worked because she had inadvertantly gone over 40 hours.

Worked a short time for a construction company that worked you for 10-12 hours and payed you for 8. When they refused to pay me the difference, I quit.

Work (looking to add the -ed soon!) for a Fortune 500 company that put so much pressure on hourly employees that they were coming in on weekends and "volunteering". 

 

[Phenix]

I always loved my employers who were quick to point out that you're a "salaried" worker when you're working more than 40 hours, but if you get your work done in less than 40 hours, your salary is prorated.  So basically you're an hourly employee whose pay gets capped at 40 hours.

[Proud Foot]

Two weeks ago my employer shorted me 1k from my paycheck, and while they cut a check the day I pointed it out to them, I'm still waiting on my 401k deposit from that make-up check to land in my account... gonna walk over to HR in a few minutes to ask what the hold-up is.

We're currently working with DH's employer because his 401k deductions & match are not being deposited in his account...for about 8 months, save April. (WHY.) I'm super embarrassed it took us this long to notice, but we thought they were deposited quarterly (and the April deposit threw us off) so we kept waiting to see if a large amount would be added--only to find out they were supposed to be deposited monthly.

Laurel you might want to consider consulting a lawyer about the lag in time contributions are being deposited to your account because it sounds like your DH's employer is violating DOL regulations. From the DOL site (part bolded for emphasis). http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/newsroom/fsecp.html

Participant Contribution Regulation
The Department's participant contribution regulation requires employers of all sizes to transmit employee contributions to pension plans as soon as they can be segregated, but in no case later than the 15th business day of the month immediately following the month in which the contribution is either withheld or received by the employer. The Department issued an amendment to the participant contribution regulation to create a safe harbor rule under which participant contributions to small plans (with fewer than 100 participants) will be deemed to be made in compliance with the law if those amounts are deposited with small plans within seven business days of withholding or receipt.

[Laurel]

Two weeks ago my employer shorted me 1k from my paycheck, and while they cut a check the day I pointed it out to them, I'm still waiting on my 401k deposit from that make-up check to land in my account... gonna walk over to HR in a few minutes to ask what the hold-up is.

We're currently working with DH's employer because his 401k deductions & match are not being deposited in his account...for about 8 months, save April. (WHY.) I'm super embarrassed it took us this long to notice, but we thought they were deposited quarterly (and the April deposit threw us off) so we kept waiting to see if a large amount would be added--only to find out they were supposed to be deposited monthly.

Laurel you might want to consider consulting a lawyer about the lag in time contributions are being deposited to your account because it sounds like your DH's employer is violating DOL regulations. From the DOL site (part bolded for emphasis). http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/newsroom/fsecp.html

Participant Contribution Regulation
The Department's participant contribution regulation requires employers of all sizes to transmit employee contributions to pension plans as soon as they can be segregated, but in no case later than the 15th business day of the month immediately following the month in which the contribution is either withheld or received by the employer. The Department issued an amendment to the participant contribution regulation to create a safe harbor rule under which participant contributions to small plans (with fewer than 100 participants) will be deemed to be made in compliance with the law if those amounts are deposited with small plans within seven business days of withholding or receipt.

Thanks for looking this up Proud Foot. We're aware...the irony is that DH is a lawyer working for a law firm. *forehead slap*

We honestly don't think it's intentional (it's a small firm with 6 total employees, and this looks like an honest oversight) and we're hoping to get things worked out without taking legal action because that would get incredibly awkward and DH legitimately likes his job. But, all the same, I think DH will start looking for a new job soon.

[Kalergie]

I just wanted to point out that while my company did make a mistake, I cannot prove that it was intentional. All I know is that I caused quite stir at the accounting department. :)

[daveydinner]

My employer shorted my raise $500 and lowered my 401k match from 4 to 2% when they switched payroll companies. I think it was an honest mistake because I noticed it quick and they got it fixed quick. But as OP mentioned above... nobody else keeps an eye on that stuff and I did a good thing for everyone. So be vigilant!

[Johnez]

This thread's quite an eye opener. Only mistake I came across was my HSA withholding going from $65 to $31 a week, so watch those too.

[Gin1984]

I always loved my employers who were quick to point out that you're a "salaried" worker when you're working more than 40 hours, but if you get your work done in less than 40 hours, your salary is prorated.  So basically you're an hourly employee whose pay gets capped at 40 hours.

Salaried does not mean OT exempt and if they are pro-rating you are not salaried. Therefore what they are doing is illegal in the U.S.

[newton]

Great idea.  Several years ago, due to an HR mistake, my company didn't withhold federal income taxes or state income taxes.  I figured it out in December of course when it was too late.  Not easy to pay that bill plus a penalty for not withholding enough.

Lesson learned :)