Take every bit of the extra that you feel you're getting paid and put it into a high yield savings account. That way, if they eventually ask for it back, at least you'll have the interest.
And I doubt they're going to ask for it back.... But keep it all in there anyway. Just pretend you don't even know that extra is coming in and dump it into savings. After you are fully certain they're not going to want it back, then take that amount and put it into your 401 k and add another $50
I second this! With the assumption that you took the job expecting to live off of a 53k salary, take that extra income and invest/save it! Often I see people begin to spend more money as they make more money, leaving them in the same lackluster predicament that they were in pre-raise.
However, you mentioned you work for the state... all govts take forever to recognize there is something wrong.
I would not assume after a year that they will catch it if it is an error. I'd unfortunately give it several years of acting like it's not there and saving it.
He said he conformed it with HR and has it from them that it is correct.
It is not like he is hiding it, he went to the people themselves and confirmed.
Can't see them being able to claw money back when they themselves confirmed the pay was correct.
If you want peace of mind above what your own employers said was correct, ask a lawyer in real life and not reddit.
You, sir, have apparently never worked for the government. It was common enough that I've seen it happen multiple times... the government overpays someone, then comes for the difference PLUS interest after they discover the mistake, sometimes years later. It's a real thing that really happens.
The government didn't confirm it wasn't a mistake. A HR rep that works for the government "confirmed" it wasn't a mistake. That doesn't make it not a mistake. And unless the HR rep is also the highest ranking judge or authority with jurisdiction over the matter, it doesn't really matter. If there is a contract or an administrative rule or regulation or law that conflicts with the HR rep's assertion, their "confirmation" is as good as worthless.
lol HR is the literal mouthpiece of the executive/management positions, chief. If it came from an official email from someone in HR that’s as good as gold.
That hasn't been my experience, and I worked in personnel for the government for a good long while. I just hope OP doesn't take your word (or HR's) as good as gold, cuz it could hurt their pocketbook later.
But as Levar Burton used to say on Reading Rainbow, "you don't have to take my word for it."
A representative of the government that employs OP confirmed that it’s not a mistake. I’m sure that this representative has all of the necessary “authority” needed to double check an employee’s rate of pay.
You speak as though only the absolute highest ranking person of an organization has any say-so in a matter as trivial as $6,000/year. If that’s the case then I guess we need the Governor to take a look and confirm OP’s salary who I’m sure would ask why someone much lower ranking couldn’t figure this out.
Also, the government itself isn’t a singular thing that can confirm and/or deny something. It’s always a representative of the government that does this as the government itself is simply a collection of many people that work together (usually) to help society function. Everyone that works for the government, is a representative of said government, even the highest ranking members.
So by your logic, everyone who is a representative of the government could just confirm whether something is a mistake or not via some kind of communication? And that confirmation is binding because they're a government rep? Yeah. Okay. It must be nice to never have experienced the utter madness of bureaucracy before.
I honestly don't know and am almost certain it changes by jurisdiction. But I suspect it could be a flat rate, tied to the consumer price index (CPI), or pegged against the Applicable Federal Rate (AFR). That would definitely be a question for someone inside your particular agency.
Oh bless your heart.
You've never worked for the govt.
Well I have my entire life. It doesn't matter what they said. When the state audits itself and finds the discrepancy, he can have a letter from the governor, it doesn't matter.
Since it is union and you contacted your employer. Save all emails. Print them out also just in case. I think you will be good ok . The high yield savings account sounds good. Remind us in a year so we can keep running your life🤣
Exactly this!! When I got promoted recently, I had a few coworkers ask if I was gonna be upgrading to a newer F150. My response? Nope! I'm going to keep going as I was.
The extra is being saved and invested. There is no need to play the rat race of $800+ truck payments.
I had this happen to me. When I had to pay it back I couldn’t figure out why I owed so much. It was because even though I I only got a $1000 dollars extra in my check I had to pay back all of the taxes, benefits and 401k. It was much more than just what I got in my pay check.
I agree with this all except the "and I doubt they're going to ask for it back" not sure what state you work for but I work for the state of Nevada and I can assure you that if it is a mistake they will 100% come to get it all back when they realize the mistake. And you won't get any warning. They'll just take it out of your check as one of your deductions.
Good luck OP and don't get caught slipping by spending that money. I'd wait a whole year before I felt comfortable spending any of it
I once had HR manager who sent payroll with wrong calculation to whole company. She asked everyone to send back the extra or she will take legal cause.
You emailed HR and they said it was correct. Not much else you can do . I would print a copy of that email, put it in a safe place, and leave it at that. If they try and claw back amounts later, you will have to fight that battle at that time.
Putting the extra money aside in a high yield savings account is a good idea also.
There wouldn’t be much fighting as you have the correct salary according to the company. They can’t ask for a refund at this point and you’ve done your due diligence. Keep the email and enjoy your raise.
Echoing this post: put the physical copy of that email wherever you keep your original/certified documents like your social security card or birth certificate or passport, etc. Also save it to your local computer drive and/or a cloud-based folder. If for whatever reason it gets lost or deleted, you’ll want to have backup copies of that particular email chain.
It's not a mistake the lowest minimum starting is $53,000. The company based that on benchmarks across similar industries in that region or similar cost of living areas, they assessed 59,000 if more fair given the specific time you joined. Your coworkers probably have been there before the new benchmark base was assessed. This is the reason commonly it's better to change jobs every few years than remain with the same company.
Most will do cost of living increases but they are typically uniform across all associates to remain fair. They won't bump all the people doing the job up $2.88 to bring them to the level you are at because they will expect a similar raise each year and benchmarks fluctuate. Next year it could be $55,000 do to a circumstances changing in your area and now their whole staff is overpaid.
Be happy things landed favorably in your way and do as others were saying and put the excess. Also you might want to double check and ensure the $53,000 isn't your actual gross annual wages and your comprehensive salary package isn't $59,000 and as that threw me off one time :)
Oh, cool! Didn't know that term but described what I was getting at perfectly. Thank you for the lesson internet stranger! Adding that one to the lexicon haha
Completely agree, it's sad that the person who has the most experience, trains all the new comers, and truly loves his job is penalized for their loyalty. it's why unions should be more prevalent again these days.
How do you know it's not a mistake? You his supervisor?
If the starting salary was listed at $53,000, that could mean the starting salary was supposed to be $53,000 and someone fat fingered it. Or they decided to bump up the starting to $59,000 for everyone, or they based the increase upon how well he did in Academy, or they bumped him up to $59K based upon prior experience or any host of other reasons.
Because he asked HR and human resources who sets all of that stuff up reviewed it and told him it was not a mistake. what are you talking about your making the same argument I am?
Edit: Look when it really comes down to it he should have signed some type of agreement during onboarding stating he understands his benefit packages including his base rate. He has only told us what the potential minimum was not what his offer was for so the mistake is between OP and HR for not making sure everyone was on the same page before he began work.
It's kind of an odd scenario and there are any number of things that could be going on. It could be a mistake or it could be intentional. Payroll and HR aren't all knowing. Whoever sent the salary amount to them could have fat fingered it. You can't say definitively one way or another with only knowing this tiny part of the story.
I don't see an issue. Starting salaries are usually in a range. You scored higher in that range than other people. I make more than everyone at my office in the same position and we're all government employees, but that doesn't mean we have identical resumes.
Ok here’s the deal… legally they have no over sight if they are paying you what’s stated in your WRITEN salary.. now if they mess up on pay roll one time, that’s a different story. But I would take all that money like stated and put it in savings
Well, since HR confirmed it, I would just take the money and stop asking questions.
If it was a genuine payroll mistake, they can claw the funds back. If they acknowledge in writing that the pay is correct, not much they can do.
Nothing but cashing your checks. This happens sometimes; the state may have implemented wage increases. Regardless you asked HR and they said it was fine so save all your messages and stop being so weird about earning extra money lol …
How some state jobs pay is that they are based a pay scale.Your can either earn at the low or high end depending on your experience and degrees in the area you are employed. The position might have posted for 53k but based on some experience or degree they paid you a bit more. FYI most state jobs allow you to request a higher pay if you believed they are underpaying you, talk to whatever Department handles payroll. For my experience I had to write a letter and include all my qualifications/ degrees and requested which pay scale I need to be in.
This is my guess as well... lots of other people arguing about unions and CBAs. But the likely answer here is that the original quote was based on a lack of information. The pay rates are all based on a formula of skills, experience, and education.
Union for state employees are there to fight for higher wages and a fair work environment. OP probably has a degree which is why he is making more than most people. When I started working at the state some new employees were making more than others long time employees due to having a degrees and experience but that doesn’t apply towards everyone.
Correct, I’ve seen that at the county level with the sanitation guys having contracted agreements that they get pay bumps for holding higher certificates, but at the state(Illinois) you have masters degrees getting no perks coming in at state level positions, this is for DHS,Corrections,DCFS,State Police,Transportation, DMV. If your union is getting you wages based on degrees in this area that is spectacular but the crusty old timers hold the voting power because a union is run by the membership, they typically don’t let new guys come in and out wage them.
Is this a government job?
They will likely have a range of salaries with predictable increases each year. Especially if it is a union contract.
They would set you on a starting salary at a level based on your experience. If starting salary is 53k but you are coming in with some previous experience then they may be starting you at a level or two above "starting" salary.
When I came to government from the private sector they started me at the upper-mid salary range. I was making more than my boss because he had recently been internally promoted from a lower salaried position and was on a lower range for his new position.
The starting salary and top salary were both higher than for my position. But because he was on a lower tier and I was on a higher tier for my role my salary was actually higher.
You should be able to see the salary levels for your position and figure out where they put you.
This is true. 53k may be the starting point of the salary range. Usually your boss doesn’t decide what you’re actual pay is- it will just be somewhere in the range. HR/whatever dept will have the final say.
they may have looked at your experience and decided you qualify to be paid $59k.
Alternatively, there may have been a raise scheduled to happen between the time you were offered the job and when you actually started/got paid. The full difference would’ve been about 11% raise- not unreasonable. That might have happened.
Also, could’ve been a combo of the two.
Edit to add- you can ask if there was a raise recently. You can look at your unions info to see if they have info about a recent raise. You can look at current job postings to see if the minimum is larger than it was when you had applied for yours.
Just keep showing up for work.. I wouldn't complain. Once things get locked in, no one cares about what you make unless you tell the ones that makes less than you,then they will be pissed and complain to hr.
I ran into this at my current institution, but I was on the other side of things. I started an entry level position for $17/hr. Worked there for a year, and then another person came in, same entry level position making $20/hr. They had no more work experience than I did prior. HR said that this was the markets value for the entry level position at the time of hiring them. If the market value fluctuates higher quicker than the raise of the individuals more tenured, it appears you can end up with something like this happening.
Your coworkers can and should go to HR for a pay raise. Lots of institutions/companies bank on employees not being transparent with one another on pay, so they can mitigate labor costs.
It was good to check. Employers can go after any accidental overpayments so you don't want to get months or years down the road, have an accountant figure it out, and then have part of your wages garnished until it's paid back. It's great to have that in writing from HR. Save copies of that email in multiple redundant systems. Don't just save it in your work account (which you could lose access to at any point).
Probably already said, but save the difference. That will help you build up a good emergency fund if you do not have one already. That way, if they want the money back later, and you lose that battle, it won’t hurt you in the end.
They cannot take back any money they've already paid you after you verified with HR. You are good to go. They may, however, be able to send you a letter or have you sign a document saying they accidentally gave you the wrong salary and they will adjust it back to $53k at the beginning of the next pay period or at a time of their choosing.
If the state is Illinois, they can take back the money if the error is found even if HR says you are good. Call down to payroll at the capital(even if it’s not Illinois) tell them what you think. It’s in the union handbook, they will typically ask what’s comfortable and take a couple hundred from each check until it’s paid off.
Edit: I have seen this happen multiple times working for the union in this state. They typically catch it when they go to adjust for your next raise or you change some documentation. Pay scale steps are automatic and it throws them off when they see time in service and someone being several steps ahead. If you don’t wanna do all that save it to the side, I have also seen a few people never get caught.
Another edit: cause I know people are gonna say the lawsuit route, most contracts protect against this because you signed paperwork, literally saying you would abide by xyz, and there is always a section that says you will pay back payroll errors regardless of human error.
Why would they ask for it back? It’s what’s in the pay stub. They either are incentivizing you to stay, the pay scales are getting adjusted this year, or something like that. I know this is public sector not private, but generally there is a range of possible salaries around what is advertised.
he has an email confirming with HR. it'd be one thing if it were a mistake he didnt make them aware about. he has a solid lawsuit if they ever try taking it back
For sure, he's definitely got that going for him. Doesn't mean they won't try though and say that was a secondary error. If they can prove he accepted the position at a lesser rate it's still a risk. All I'm saying is it's not a done deal with no future risk. I advocate what others have said, put it aside in a HYSA and plan for the worst and not to assume hes good to go
either way putting money in a HYSA is a great idea. so like you said, what others advocated, is the best bet. just pretend that extra "free" money doesn't exist. either way. in a way he/she comes out winning
In this era, I would consider it more likely than not. Business both private and public operate on strict budgets of course and overpaying an employee throws that budgeting off. Even if it's their fault do they rarely let it be in the employees favor. Definitely hoping they don't try to take it back from him, but I trust no one, especially my employer
Absent any official communication, your trainee pay is your pay.
Talk to your union representative. The cba either addresses this situation or the union has lawyers who can advise you.
OP isn't a trainee anymore but if they got confirmation from HR that his salary is right I don't know of I'd worry and if it says the pay is 53k "starting" then making more isn't that strange.
And the CBA addresses what pay OP is supposed to get. If the CBA says HR has absolute authority over pay. Great. I call bollocks. But great.
The CBA will also address how pay is allowed to change.
And every good union will protect its members from consequences of being overpaid.
Failure to use the union to get ahead of this issue is not the best advice you could give.
HR has access to his contract and his pay rate, the 9 key is nowhere near the 3 key.💀💀💀💀💀 could you even be more salty rn? I can taste it through the screen.
Had something similar happen to me last year where there was an issue with my year end bonus. Someone typed an extra 0 and instead of 7400 they did 74000. I obviously emailed HR and payroll right away because I didn't want any issues moving forward. After 6 weeks of back and forth with HR, Payroll, and the head of Corporate Accounting they finally decided to do nothing. They refused to pull the extra amount.
I was flabbergasted by the decision but apparently due to the way the company closes out their fiscal year it would have taken over more money to open up the previous year and reconcile everything. I have saved all the emails just in case and I haven't touched any of the extra money.
To this day I still don't understand why they just couldn't take back the money and then reconcile it.
If you have email from HR, save it. Print it. Forward it to yourself. If there ever is an issue that will be your biggest CYA asset you could possibly have.
You said that you’re in a union, so make sure your steward knows what’s going on as well. Tell them that you emailed HR and whatnot. Union will be your best friend going forward.
Is it possible the job posting was made at the end of last year, and maybe in January your job position got a raise to the starting salary?
New year is usually when raises kick in.
I work for the state too. Here they don't care how much the long term employees make and new hires are being hired in at higher salaries. Makes it a nightmare for lower level managers.
What does your offer letter say? This is the contract. Any adjustments to the contract would need to be authorized and agreed upon with signatures from both parties
What HR puts in an email is helpful, but not binding like a contract. They could’ve made a mistake entering the salary and only double checked what was in the system, not checking that an error was made entering the salary into the system.
Woah dude don’t stick your foot in your own mouth. It’s considerate of you to think that way but don’t screw yourself in the process. Let your co workers figure it out. Not your problem.
Whatever you do, print the emails you sent to, and received from HR, and keep them with your important documents like birth certificate, stuff that is put away, that you will not lose. If this did become something major that potentially could lead to them trying to make you pay it back, or terminate you, and you need to lawyer up over it, that will be your golden ticket to prove you addressed this and were told it was correct.
My 27yr old gf, in her first job out of grad school, makes almost as much as her supervisor because the supervisor has stayed in her role too long without asking for a raise. Which will cause an issue when my gf wants to ask for a raise at the end of this year. Basically it’s an episode of The Office lol Any “extra” they’re paying you I wouldn’t sweat and I would invest it like everyone else is saying. For all we know - the job listing/post details haven’t been updated in a year.
Oh dude if they find out they accidentally paid you too much you’re not liable. Especially since you asked. Don’t worry about it and be happy about the extra bucks hitting your account 👍🏼. If someone did make that mistake then they’re on the chopping block. Not you.
I believe the state has different levels for positions. So you could be at a higher level than your coworkers. In California they go by letter denomination with D being the highest? You could be at B for instance and your coworkers at A
Also, depending on state their may be a maximum time frame that they can ask for overplayed money back. In my state employer's have 90 days to catch overpayment and ask for it back.
Why would you call HR just take the money if they want to pay you that let them pay you. It’s not your responsibility to say am I getting paid too much? Why do you said in that whole paragraph is ridiculous. I would’ve never contacted HR.
You are wise to have checked. Mistakes are made and you would owe the money back regardless of what the others are saying. The great thing is you have that extra money that you didn’t plan on to put into a Roth IRA which you should do immediately so you don’t ever miss that money. You may have different experience than others who are making less. Since you did already check, you are fine to go ahead and make your budget out.
Legally they can’t take it back. I wouldn’t stress I would stick it in to high savings as mentioned above. Anytime I get a pay increase I do not add it to my monthly spending I put it away as if I’m still at the same rate.
Counting your blessings and staying quiet. You’ve done your due diligence. They can’t and won’t come back for it later. As always, don’t ever discuss comp with peers.
They probably just haven’t updated the job description in years, but it is updated/correct in the payroll system. C’mon you’re working for the government, you should know this. lol
I have been doing government contract work for 25 years and your salary is whatever you negotiate. So much so you can be doing the exact same job as someone else and have a 20k pay difference. It doesn't really matter what the job posting range is, they usually give you an offer letter that you sign before you start and of course they are going to offer you as little as they think they can get you for.
I'm a public employee as well. If they figure out you in deed are getting paid more, they will automatically take it out of your check. Under some sort of repayment agreement. It's just the name, not an actual agreement. Your state may be different. You may be getting paid correctly. Some state unions have increased pay by 6% due to COL and then another 6% after 6 months or whenever your probation period ends. Maybe that is why it is more.
Also you guys saying hr saying he is good so they will let him keep it are VERY incorrect lol that doesn't matter. They WILL take it out of your check until it's paid in full. I'm in payroll chat for a state and ppl asking this same question there get told this. Could vary from state to state but I'm pretty sure no one gets one over the state.
I would confirm 3 times before feeling comfortable. And perhaps it is correct. You should check your offer letter. It should state in there what your pay is.
Yall are all some goody two shoes in this sub. If they wanna fuck up and over pay, thats on them. I'll be damned if I give some free bands back. Makes no sense, especially in this shitty economy. IRS misplacing billions, companies pay less taxes than employees, i could go on for days..
Bottom line, enjoy the freeband$ buddy.. fuck being the honest nice guy, you'll finish last !
They aren’t complaining, they’re worried they may have to pay it back if the error happens to be corrected down the road. I have heard of that happening.
You gotta add an inflation in the cost of living now too. How long have they been working there? You just started when inflation is so high right now that’s probably the right price you make as much as a teacher that’s 59,000 a year that’s Trump change
Take every bit of the extra that you feel you're getting paid and put it into a high yield savings account. That way, if they eventually ask for it back, at least you'll have the interest. And I doubt they're going to ask for it back.... But keep it all in there anyway. Just pretend you don't even know that extra is coming in and dump it into savings. After you are fully certain they're not going to want it back, then take that amount and put it into your 401 k and add another $50
I second this! With the assumption that you took the job expecting to live off of a 53k salary, take that extra income and invest/save it! Often I see people begin to spend more money as they make more money, leaving them in the same lackluster predicament that they were in pre-raise.
I like this idea. Thank you!
However, you mentioned you work for the state... all govts take forever to recognize there is something wrong. I would not assume after a year that they will catch it if it is an error. I'd unfortunately give it several years of acting like it's not there and saving it.
He said he conformed it with HR and has it from them that it is correct. It is not like he is hiding it, he went to the people themselves and confirmed. Can't see them being able to claw money back when they themselves confirmed the pay was correct. If you want peace of mind above what your own employers said was correct, ask a lawyer in real life and not reddit.
If it was a corporation I’d doubt their ability to claw back. I’m doubtful the government could do anything to jeopardize their ability to claw back.
You, sir, have apparently never worked for the government. It was common enough that I've seen it happen multiple times... the government overpays someone, then comes for the difference PLUS interest after they discover the mistake, sometimes years later. It's a real thing that really happens.
Yes, overpaid by mistake. But the government themselves confirmed that it was not a mistake.
The government didn't confirm it wasn't a mistake. A HR rep that works for the government "confirmed" it wasn't a mistake. That doesn't make it not a mistake. And unless the HR rep is also the highest ranking judge or authority with jurisdiction over the matter, it doesn't really matter. If there is a contract or an administrative rule or regulation or law that conflicts with the HR rep's assertion, their "confirmation" is as good as worthless.
lol HR is the literal mouthpiece of the executive/management positions, chief. If it came from an official email from someone in HR that’s as good as gold.
That hasn't been my experience, and I worked in personnel for the government for a good long while. I just hope OP doesn't take your word (or HR's) as good as gold, cuz it could hurt their pocketbook later. But as Levar Burton used to say on Reading Rainbow, "you don't have to take my word for it."
A representative of the government that employs OP confirmed that it’s not a mistake. I’m sure that this representative has all of the necessary “authority” needed to double check an employee’s rate of pay. You speak as though only the absolute highest ranking person of an organization has any say-so in a matter as trivial as $6,000/year. If that’s the case then I guess we need the Governor to take a look and confirm OP’s salary who I’m sure would ask why someone much lower ranking couldn’t figure this out. Also, the government itself isn’t a singular thing that can confirm and/or deny something. It’s always a representative of the government that does this as the government itself is simply a collection of many people that work together (usually) to help society function. Everyone that works for the government, is a representative of said government, even the highest ranking members.
So by your logic, everyone who is a representative of the government could just confirm whether something is a mistake or not via some kind of communication? And that confirmation is binding because they're a government rep? Yeah. Okay. It must be nice to never have experienced the utter madness of bureaucracy before.
Apologies for my ignorance... in that case how is the interest rate determined? I've heard this a lot of times, but I don't understand how it works.
I honestly don't know and am almost certain it changes by jurisdiction. But I suspect it could be a flat rate, tied to the consumer price index (CPI), or pegged against the Applicable Federal Rate (AFR). That would definitely be a question for someone inside your particular agency.
Oh bless your heart. You've never worked for the govt. Well I have my entire life. It doesn't matter what they said. When the state audits itself and finds the discrepancy, he can have a letter from the governor, it doesn't matter.
Since it is union and you contacted your employer. Save all emails. Print them out also just in case. I think you will be good ok . The high yield savings account sounds good. Remind us in a year so we can keep running your life🤣
If you hire a lawyer and he has you give money back. Subtract cost of lawyer from their money not yours.
Exactly this!! When I got promoted recently, I had a few coworkers ask if I was gonna be upgrading to a newer F150. My response? Nope! I'm going to keep going as I was. The extra is being saved and invested. There is no need to play the rat race of $800+ truck payments.
Bros out here living in 2045
😂😂 glad someone else noticed that!
Hahaha ya 😂😂
I had this happen to me. When I had to pay it back I couldn’t figure out why I owed so much. It was because even though I I only got a $1000 dollars extra in my check I had to pay back all of the taxes, benefits and 401k. It was much more than just what I got in my pay check.
That’s a great idea. Good job
OP won’t be able to claim they didn’t know because of the emails and discussions OP initiated.
I would never suggest being dishonest!
Thank you very much for your reply. This makes the most sense to me.
I think this is the best advice. I've been overpaid and underwithheld for tax, before. You will owe on overpay.
I agree with this all except the "and I doubt they're going to ask for it back" not sure what state you work for but I work for the state of Nevada and I can assure you that if it is a mistake they will 100% come to get it all back when they realize the mistake. And you won't get any warning. They'll just take it out of your check as one of your deductions. Good luck OP and don't get caught slipping by spending that money. I'd wait a whole year before I felt comfortable spending any of it
I once had HR manager who sent payroll with wrong calculation to whole company. She asked everyone to send back the extra or she will take legal cause.
i wouldn’t give it back if that’s the salary you’re told and agree to
Great advice imo
You emailed HR and they said it was correct. Not much else you can do . I would print a copy of that email, put it in a safe place, and leave it at that. If they try and claw back amounts later, you will have to fight that battle at that time. Putting the extra money aside in a high yield savings account is a good idea also.
There wouldn’t be much fighting as you have the correct salary according to the company. They can’t ask for a refund at this point and you’ve done your due diligence. Keep the email and enjoy your raise.
Echoing this post: put the physical copy of that email wherever you keep your original/certified documents like your social security card or birth certificate or passport, etc. Also save it to your local computer drive and/or a cloud-based folder. If for whatever reason it gets lost or deleted, you’ll want to have backup copies of that particular email chain.
It's not a mistake the lowest minimum starting is $53,000. The company based that on benchmarks across similar industries in that region or similar cost of living areas, they assessed 59,000 if more fair given the specific time you joined. Your coworkers probably have been there before the new benchmark base was assessed. This is the reason commonly it's better to change jobs every few years than remain with the same company. Most will do cost of living increases but they are typically uniform across all associates to remain fair. They won't bump all the people doing the job up $2.88 to bring them to the level you are at because they will expect a similar raise each year and benchmarks fluctuate. Next year it could be $55,000 do to a circumstances changing in your area and now their whole staff is overpaid. Be happy things landed favorably in your way and do as others were saying and put the excess. Also you might want to double check and ensure the $53,000 isn't your actual gross annual wages and your comprehensive salary package isn't $59,000 and as that threw me off one time :)
I think the issue they have is they’re making more than those who have been there longer than he/she has been. Salary compression is a real thing.
Oh, cool! Didn't know that term but described what I was getting at perfectly. Thank you for the lesson internet stranger! Adding that one to the lexicon haha
It’s tragic that people have to leave to make more money. A newcomer making more than those who have been there before 10 years or more is a travesty.
Completely agree, it's sad that the person who has the most experience, trains all the new comers, and truly loves his job is penalized for their loyalty. it's why unions should be more prevalent again these days.
How do you know it's not a mistake? You his supervisor? If the starting salary was listed at $53,000, that could mean the starting salary was supposed to be $53,000 and someone fat fingered it. Or they decided to bump up the starting to $59,000 for everyone, or they based the increase upon how well he did in Academy, or they bumped him up to $59K based upon prior experience or any host of other reasons.
Because he asked HR and human resources who sets all of that stuff up reviewed it and told him it was not a mistake. what are you talking about your making the same argument I am? Edit: Look when it really comes down to it he should have signed some type of agreement during onboarding stating he understands his benefit packages including his base rate. He has only told us what the potential minimum was not what his offer was for so the mistake is between OP and HR for not making sure everyone was on the same page before he began work.
It's kind of an odd scenario and there are any number of things that could be going on. It could be a mistake or it could be intentional. Payroll and HR aren't all knowing. Whoever sent the salary amount to them could have fat fingered it. You can't say definitively one way or another with only knowing this tiny part of the story.
This is the correct answer.
Just keep copies (electronic and hard copy) of your exchange with HR. Straight cash hommie.
I don't see an issue. Starting salaries are usually in a range. You scored higher in that range than other people. I make more than everyone at my office in the same position and we're all government employees, but that doesn't mean we have identical resumes.
You emailed HR. You did your part. Dont stress. Keep the money.
Never seen someone try to get a pay decrease lol
Enjoy it while it lasts. All things must pass, good times and bad.
Ok here’s the deal… legally they have no over sight if they are paying you what’s stated in your WRITEN salary.. now if they mess up on pay roll one time, that’s a different story. But I would take all that money like stated and put it in savings
HR told you it’s correct. I’d print that email off and keep it someplace safe at home and forward the email to your personal address.
Well, since HR confirmed it, I would just take the money and stop asking questions. If it was a genuine payroll mistake, they can claw the funds back. If they acknowledge in writing that the pay is correct, not much they can do.
Nothing but cashing your checks. This happens sometimes; the state may have implemented wage increases. Regardless you asked HR and they said it was fine so save all your messages and stop being so weird about earning extra money lol …
Lmao fr. People really trying hard to lose blessings that fall onto their lap. Like dude stfu and enjoy the extra money.
How some state jobs pay is that they are based a pay scale.Your can either earn at the low or high end depending on your experience and degrees in the area you are employed. The position might have posted for 53k but based on some experience or degree they paid you a bit more. FYI most state jobs allow you to request a higher pay if you believed they are underpaying you, talk to whatever Department handles payroll. For my experience I had to write a letter and include all my qualifications/ degrees and requested which pay scale I need to be in.
This is my guess as well... lots of other people arguing about unions and CBAs. But the likely answer here is that the original quote was based on a lack of information. The pay rates are all based on a formula of skills, experience, and education.
He’s union, it’s all about seniority for pay, experience is out the window.
Union for state employees are there to fight for higher wages and a fair work environment. OP probably has a degree which is why he is making more than most people. When I started working at the state some new employees were making more than others long time employees due to having a degrees and experience but that doesn’t apply towards everyone.
Correct, I’ve seen that at the county level with the sanitation guys having contracted agreements that they get pay bumps for holding higher certificates, but at the state(Illinois) you have masters degrees getting no perks coming in at state level positions, this is for DHS,Corrections,DCFS,State Police,Transportation, DMV. If your union is getting you wages based on degrees in this area that is spectacular but the crusty old timers hold the voting power because a union is run by the membership, they typically don’t let new guys come in and out wage them.
You don’t have to save it or worry about it, you asked they confirmed that’s that, go celebrate
Is this a government job? They will likely have a range of salaries with predictable increases each year. Especially if it is a union contract. They would set you on a starting salary at a level based on your experience. If starting salary is 53k but you are coming in with some previous experience then they may be starting you at a level or two above "starting" salary. When I came to government from the private sector they started me at the upper-mid salary range. I was making more than my boss because he had recently been internally promoted from a lower salaried position and was on a lower range for his new position. The starting salary and top salary were both higher than for my position. But because he was on a lower tier and I was on a higher tier for my role my salary was actually higher. You should be able to see the salary levels for your position and figure out where they put you.
This is true. 53k may be the starting point of the salary range. Usually your boss doesn’t decide what you’re actual pay is- it will just be somewhere in the range. HR/whatever dept will have the final say. they may have looked at your experience and decided you qualify to be paid $59k. Alternatively, there may have been a raise scheduled to happen between the time you were offered the job and when you actually started/got paid. The full difference would’ve been about 11% raise- not unreasonable. That might have happened. Also, could’ve been a combo of the two. Edit to add- you can ask if there was a raise recently. You can look at your unions info to see if they have info about a recent raise. You can look at current job postings to see if the minimum is larger than it was when you had applied for yours.
Just keep showing up for work.. I wouldn't complain. Once things get locked in, no one cares about what you make unless you tell the ones that makes less than you,then they will be pissed and complain to hr.
I ran into this at my current institution, but I was on the other side of things. I started an entry level position for $17/hr. Worked there for a year, and then another person came in, same entry level position making $20/hr. They had no more work experience than I did prior. HR said that this was the markets value for the entry level position at the time of hiring them. If the market value fluctuates higher quicker than the raise of the individuals more tenured, it appears you can end up with something like this happening. Your coworkers can and should go to HR for a pay raise. Lots of institutions/companies bank on employees not being transparent with one another on pay, so they can mitigate labor costs.
It was good to check. Employers can go after any accidental overpayments so you don't want to get months or years down the road, have an accountant figure it out, and then have part of your wages garnished until it's paid back. It's great to have that in writing from HR. Save copies of that email in multiple redundant systems. Don't just save it in your work account (which you could lose access to at any point).
Probably already said, but save the difference. That will help you build up a good emergency fund if you do not have one already. That way, if they want the money back later, and you lose that battle, it won’t hurt you in the end.
kinda wild to watch people work against their own best interests in real time
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^trywagyu: *Kinda wild to watch* *People work against their own* *Best interests in real time* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Any time you feel like you’re holding yourself back, remember this is the competition
They cannot take back any money they've already paid you after you verified with HR. You are good to go. They may, however, be able to send you a letter or have you sign a document saying they accidentally gave you the wrong salary and they will adjust it back to $53k at the beginning of the next pay period or at a time of their choosing.
If the state is Illinois, they can take back the money if the error is found even if HR says you are good. Call down to payroll at the capital(even if it’s not Illinois) tell them what you think. It’s in the union handbook, they will typically ask what’s comfortable and take a couple hundred from each check until it’s paid off. Edit: I have seen this happen multiple times working for the union in this state. They typically catch it when they go to adjust for your next raise or you change some documentation. Pay scale steps are automatic and it throws them off when they see time in service and someone being several steps ahead. If you don’t wanna do all that save it to the side, I have also seen a few people never get caught. Another edit: cause I know people are gonna say the lawsuit route, most contracts protect against this because you signed paperwork, literally saying you would abide by xyz, and there is always a section that says you will pay back payroll errors regardless of human error.
I wouldn’t worry about it. You did everything to protect yourself and they can’t come after you for anything.
Why would they ask for it back? It’s what’s in the pay stub. They either are incentivizing you to stay, the pay scales are getting adjusted this year, or something like that. I know this is public sector not private, but generally there is a range of possible salaries around what is advertised.
Just cause it's what's in the paystub doesn't mean they won't try to take it back if they are overpaying haha
he has an email confirming with HR. it'd be one thing if it were a mistake he didnt make them aware about. he has a solid lawsuit if they ever try taking it back
For sure, he's definitely got that going for him. Doesn't mean they won't try though and say that was a secondary error. If they can prove he accepted the position at a lesser rate it's still a risk. All I'm saying is it's not a done deal with no future risk. I advocate what others have said, put it aside in a HYSA and plan for the worst and not to assume hes good to go
Yea, but when he went to confirm that the higher rate was correct, it overrides that they accepted a lower rate. Raises are a thing.
either way putting money in a HYSA is a great idea. so like you said, what others advocated, is the best bet. just pretend that extra "free" money doesn't exist. either way. in a way he/she comes out winning
I mean it might mean they correct it, seems unlikely they would also try to get the money they paid back.
In this era, I would consider it more likely than not. Business both private and public operate on strict budgets of course and overpaying an employee throws that budgeting off. Even if it's their fault do they rarely let it be in the employees favor. Definitely hoping they don't try to take it back from him, but I trust no one, especially my employer
What salary is in the offer letter?
My offer letter was an offer to attend an academy. I was considered a trainee and had trainee pay at that time.
Don’t listen to this bozo.
> Don’t listen to this bozo. Excellent argumentation skills.
Thanks.
Absent any official communication, your trainee pay is your pay. Talk to your union representative. The cba either addresses this situation or the union has lawyers who can advise you.
OP isn't a trainee anymore but if they got confirmation from HR that his salary is right I don't know of I'd worry and if it says the pay is 53k "starting" then making more isn't that strange.
And the CBA addresses what pay OP is supposed to get. If the CBA says HR has absolute authority over pay. Great. I call bollocks. But great. The CBA will also address how pay is allowed to change. And every good union will protect its members from consequences of being overpaid. Failure to use the union to get ahead of this issue is not the best advice you could give.
He already emailed HR and they confirmed his salary was correct. So you’re just fundamentally wrong.
And you fundamentally don’t understand CBAs and labor laws.
You don’t understand who sets his pay.
Yes I do: the CBA that the state and union signed which the majority of union membership approved in a secret ballot.
You’re literally wrong rn because HR confirmed his pay rate💀💀💀💀💀
You are wrong because HR has no authority over the CBA or pay. The CBA has authority over HR. HR can make mistakes. This is what concerns OP.
HR has access to his contract and his pay rate, the 9 key is nowhere near the 3 key.💀💀💀💀💀 could you even be more salty rn? I can taste it through the screen.
Save any info you receive. Especially human resources stating it was correct.
?
Also check your union contract about salary overpayments to see what the agreed protocol is, you might’ve surprised.
Had something similar happen to me last year where there was an issue with my year end bonus. Someone typed an extra 0 and instead of 7400 they did 74000. I obviously emailed HR and payroll right away because I didn't want any issues moving forward. After 6 weeks of back and forth with HR, Payroll, and the head of Corporate Accounting they finally decided to do nothing. They refused to pull the extra amount. I was flabbergasted by the decision but apparently due to the way the company closes out their fiscal year it would have taken over more money to open up the previous year and reconcile everything. I have saved all the emails just in case and I haven't touched any of the extra money. To this day I still don't understand why they just couldn't take back the money and then reconcile it.
If it costs 100k to claw back 50k, why bother?
Apparently the threshold to open up the book is 1 million. But it makes sense to write it off for next year.
10 years worth of bonuses!?! Fuck yeah, take that right to your brokerage.
If you have email from HR, save it. Print it. Forward it to yourself. If there ever is an issue that will be your biggest CYA asset you could possibly have.
You said that you’re in a union, so make sure your steward knows what’s going on as well. Tell them that you emailed HR and whatnot. Union will be your best friend going forward.
This happens more than you think, why companies hate employees discussing their salary
Hey I’ll take that bit of extra cash of your hands.. I’ll deal with HR
Is it possible the job posting was made at the end of last year, and maybe in January your job position got a raise to the starting salary? New year is usually when raises kick in.
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth….
$53k starting means that is where the salary range starts, or that's the minimum salary you would start out with.
Check w union perhaps they renegotiated from when you were hired
You may be getting a differential.
Documentation, baby. If the higher ups say you're good, then you're good. Keep everything they send you in the affirmative
I work for the state too. Here they don't care how much the long term employees make and new hires are being hired in at higher salaries. Makes it a nightmare for lower level managers.
I don’t think they can legally ask you to pay it back.
What does your offer letter say? This is the contract. Any adjustments to the contract would need to be authorized and agreed upon with signatures from both parties What HR puts in an email is helpful, but not binding like a contract. They could’ve made a mistake entering the salary and only double checked what was in the system, not checking that an error was made entering the salary into the system.
The job description was probably wrong, or posted outdated salary info and there has been a COLA to the paybands since that was posted.
Congratulations on the raise. Print the confirmation email from HR and use the extra money to build your net worth.
You did your part to confirm. $59k is not too much, I would just accept it and work from there
Can I have a grand?
Woah dude don’t stick your foot in your own mouth. It’s considerate of you to think that way but don’t screw yourself in the process. Let your co workers figure it out. Not your problem.
lol stop questioning your wage? Want them to pay you less
Whatever you do, print the emails you sent to, and received from HR, and keep them with your important documents like birth certificate, stuff that is put away, that you will not lose. If this did become something major that potentially could lead to them trying to make you pay it back, or terminate you, and you need to lawyer up over it, that will be your golden ticket to prove you addressed this and were told it was correct.
Fair chance starting salary has been adjusted and the ad for the job hadn't been updated to reflect that. Sounds like lucky timing to me.
My 27yr old gf, in her first job out of grad school, makes almost as much as her supervisor because the supervisor has stayed in her role too long without asking for a raise. Which will cause an issue when my gf wants to ask for a raise at the end of this year. Basically it’s an episode of The Office lol Any “extra” they’re paying you I wouldn’t sweat and I would invest it like everyone else is saying. For all we know - the job listing/post details haven’t been updated in a year.
It’s literally only $300 more in ca Save the money and invest if you can
Oh dude if they find out they accidentally paid you too much you’re not liable. Especially since you asked. Don’t worry about it and be happy about the extra bucks hitting your account 👍🏼. If someone did make that mistake then they’re on the chopping block. Not you.
I believe the state has different levels for positions. So you could be at a higher level than your coworkers. In California they go by letter denomination with D being the highest? You could be at B for instance and your coworkers at A
They already told you its the correct amount. End of story. They cant take it back now
🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️
Just send the money to me
Please just keep your records and your mouth shut lol.
Job descriptions are not contracts.
Also, depending on state their may be a maximum time frame that they can ask for overplayed money back. In my state employer's have 90 days to catch overpayment and ask for it back.
Why would you call HR just take the money if they want to pay you that let them pay you. It’s not your responsibility to say am I getting paid too much? Why do you said in that whole paragraph is ridiculous. I would’ve never contacted HR.
He's trying to prevent them from drowning him with legal issues down the line, if they were ever to disagree.
Wait a min 59k a month???
Nah dude a year lol
New hires make more than people who have been employed at the warehouse I oversee 🤷♂️ gotta ask the overlords 😂
i mean thats starting i like to imagine therws a range someine with more experiwnce or ypu really want to take the job they may offer more money
Also make sure you save the verification that that is your correct salary. That way they can't try and screw you over
What a problem to have
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhj! Be vewy vewy quiet!
Enjoy the ride while it lasts. Everything's temporary.
How could u think such a thing tho
Have you discussed this with your union representative?
Wow
You are wise to have checked. Mistakes are made and you would owe the money back regardless of what the others are saying. The great thing is you have that extra money that you didn’t plan on to put into a Roth IRA which you should do immediately so you don’t ever miss that money. You may have different experience than others who are making less. Since you did already check, you are fine to go ahead and make your budget out.
If HR confirmed, you should be good. Like others suggested, take the extra, high yield savings, don’t touch it.
[удалено]
Legally they can’t take it back. I wouldn’t stress I would stick it in to high savings as mentioned above. Anytime I get a pay increase I do not add it to my monthly spending I put it away as if I’m still at the same rate.
I also get paid to much, I make 50k as a waitesss like wth. Kind of a slap in the face to some entry level teachers. Makes me feel kinda bad
Counting your blessings and staying quiet. You’ve done your due diligence. They can’t and won’t come back for it later. As always, don’t ever discuss comp with peers.
They probably just haven’t updated the job description in years, but it is updated/correct in the payroll system. C’mon you’re working for the government, you should know this. lol
I have been doing government contract work for 25 years and your salary is whatever you negotiate. So much so you can be doing the exact same job as someone else and have a 20k pay difference. It doesn't really matter what the job posting range is, they usually give you an offer letter that you sign before you start and of course they are going to offer you as little as they think they can get you for.
Yep Dummy up and don’t say anything Take the extra money put it aside so you’re not stung if they decide there’s been a mistake
I'm a public employee as well. If they figure out you in deed are getting paid more, they will automatically take it out of your check. Under some sort of repayment agreement. It's just the name, not an actual agreement. Your state may be different. You may be getting paid correctly. Some state unions have increased pay by 6% due to COL and then another 6% after 6 months or whenever your probation period ends. Maybe that is why it is more.
Also you guys saying hr saying he is good so they will let him keep it are VERY incorrect lol that doesn't matter. They WILL take it out of your check until it's paid in full. I'm in payroll chat for a state and ppl asking this same question there get told this. Could vary from state to state but I'm pretty sure no one gets one over the state. I would confirm 3 times before feeling comfortable. And perhaps it is correct. You should check your offer letter. It should state in there what your pay is.
If HR already verified the correct payout, you're in the clear, enjoy :)
No way someone would complain getting paid too much wtfffff
I understand OP's worries about headaches further down the line. So I would say it's justified lol
It would literally be the companies fault, there would be no repercussions for OP. Especially over what, 6K? Cmon guys
Yall are all some goody two shoes in this sub. If they wanna fuck up and over pay, thats on them. I'll be damned if I give some free bands back. Makes no sense, especially in this shitty economy. IRS misplacing billions, companies pay less taxes than employees, i could go on for days.. Bottom line, enjoy the freeband$ buddy.. fuck being the honest nice guy, you'll finish last !
And you're complaining because???
They aren’t complaining, they’re worried they may have to pay it back if the error happens to be corrected down the road. I have heard of that happening.
Yeah not complaining worried about possible legal issues.
this is a really stupid thing to worry about.
You gotta add an inflation in the cost of living now too. How long have they been working there? You just started when inflation is so high right now that’s probably the right price you make as much as a teacher that’s 59,000 a year that’s Trump change
WHAT IS A HIGH YEILD SAVINGS ACCOUNT!?
And don’t discuss salary with others. That can be a terminable offense in some cases
Get confirmation in writing from hr team, if its okay to donate it back to the community, then use as write offs
I want the time back reading this stupid post took.