underpayment

[nahpets]

Philadelphia, PA - what (if any) are the law(s) regarding compensation for underpayment of an hourly employee? employer is resistant to payment by "cut check" and wants to add payment owed to the next pay period (2 weeks)

i have been underpaid 4 of my last 5 biweekly paychecks, as much as $3600 to as little as $210...does the amount underpaid matter? I vaguely remember a past employer's policy stating the underpayment must be at least '8 hours' but with any resistance they would cut a check

also, can they (human resources or payroll) be held accountable for what seems to me as gross negligence?

thanksWhat is the name of your state?

 

[moburkes]

You can contact the Department of Labor for your state.

 

[cbg]

What reason does the payroll department give you for the discrepancies?

Hint: HR rarely (not never, but rarely) has anything to do with payroll.

 

[nahpets]

What reason does the payroll department give you for the discrepancies?

Hint: HR rarely (not never, but rarely) has anything to do with payroll.

there were many actually...at first, the payroll employee didn't send in status change paperwork to HR to approve payscale change yet didn't even pay out at old rate 2)then sent the wrong paperwork 3)then sent the correct paperwork filled out incorrectly and 4)there was no explanation for the latest errors...any probing just escalates a tense situation...as a matter of fact i am currently using my boss as a laison to payroll...i have tried to make this payroll clerk's super aware but my voice messages went unreturned (not neccessarily unanswered as not long after i contacted her i rec'd resolution re: the first discrepancy)

I agree that HR and payroll are certainly separate but i believe that most payroll dept's policies are governed by HR policies...am i mistaken??? i have been trying to locate the policy for payroll/HR but, of course, HR's policies aren't on the intranet as is every other dept's policies

 

[moburkes]

Okay. You bring up a point that is something different. There is no law that states a pay change has to be backdated, or paid by a certain date. That is something completely different than simply paying you the wrong $ amount, which may have been what cbg was getting at when she asked you that question.

 

[nahpets]

the first 3) aforementioned mistakes occured over 2 pay periods in june and as inconvenient as they were, i understood...my original question was specifically regarding $ discrepencies as of late with an already established payscale

i feel that the employer should 'cut a check' for the current discrepency as it was solely their error...this current pay (which isn't paid until friday aug 24 - we get access to the paycheck early "to resolve any issues") i will receive pay for 85 hours straight time and 6 hours OT when it is painfully obvious that i should be paid 80 and 11 for the past 2 weeks

i was just trying to further explain the situation...perhaps a timeline/more explanation would have been helpful

thanx

 

[cbg]

And with regards to HR being responsible for payroll's policies, yes, you are mistaken.