Mad, and no one to complain to

[josh987654321]

I actually asked them this, and they responded that with retirement benefits and all that, “it would be hard.” Well, you know what else is hard? Being short $1400! You know what ISN’T hard? Typing a number correctly in a box!

I would suggest making it a sort of de facto interest free loan (because it was their mistake), and you can pay it back with each paycheck over the course of the next year until you reach the lump sum payment owed if that’s how they want to do it.

In fact, it should be easier to just reverse the mistake over the course of the next year rather than a lump sum payment.

If they want a lump sum payment to correct their error, I would be very skeptical, because that sounds more like just balancing the books and they don’t actually know exactly where the error was.

I hope this has helped

God Bless You

Thank you for reading
Josh

 

[Xantippe]

I actually asked them this, and they responded that with retirement benefits and all that, “it would be hard.” Well, you know what else is hard? Being short $1400! You know what ISN’T hard? Typing a number correctly in a box!

Yuck!

 

[Allegra]

My very favorite teacher in my children’s grade school career, quit and opened her own tutoring and life skills office. It’s amazing. She’s been open for two years and is very busy. I’m not suggesting you quit, but know that if you have options might make being where you are more bearable.

I definitely don’t want to quit. I love my job, my students, my coworkers, etc. It’s the administrative center that hasn’t got the bar set too high for themselves. No one ever sees them, so they get away with a lot. They make trouble for the principals and teachers, and we pay the consequences. Well, us and the kids too.

 

[Allegra]

We were having a conversation with a school teacher and this Man was saying just about everything exactly as your saying,
Your being scrutinised beyond belief,
And there’s no grounds on which to get compensation of any kind,
I reall y don’t know how you Cope,
I work at an Australian high school , and a lady from Florida is a teacher there,
I asked why on earth she is a teacher here,
She replied anywhere is better than Florida,

Yes. Florida does stink. Sorry Florida. The heat is horrible. When you step outside, it feels like someone slapped you with a wool blanket that had been hanging in a sauna. There’s so much traffic. And apparently, you can be eaten by an alligator. But I guess they have problems like that in Australia too.

 

[Allegra]

I’ll be requesting prayers soon. I’ve applied to be a substitute teacher for next year to see if teaching might be a potential second career for me. Yikes I live in Florida!!

Be on the lookout for gators!

 

[Xantippe]

Yes. Florida does stink. Sorry Florida. The heat is horrible. When you step outside, it feels like someone slapped you with a wool blanket that had been hanging in a sauna. There’s so much traffic. And apparently, you can be eaten by an alligator. But I guess they have problems like that in Australia too.

Nah–being eaten by a crocodile is **totally **different.

 

[Allegra]

Look at it another way. You have been getting paid an extra $130 per month and you didn’t even notice? You spent all of that money and didn’t save any? And you are blaming your employer?

I did notice the increase in pay, but I was expecting an increase in pay because I began teaching two extra classes that were outside of my original contract. When the year began, I had a normal contract, but my school had to add a section of 3rd grade after the second week of school. The book keeper changed my contract, but forgot to subtract the amount I had already been paid for my first paycheck. Also, in the same paycheck, the new health insurance plan started, so I was expecting a change because of that as well. And you’ll be happy to know that we save money from every paycheck. We aren’t going to be sleeping on the street. However, we had specific financial plans that were made based on the amount I was getting for each paycheck. We are now going to have to change those plans in order to prevent from having to dip into the savings or charge things this summer. I blame my employer for what my employer did. Cutting checks accurately is their job. My job is teaching children. If the slightest thing goes wrong with my job, I never hear the end of it. They do not hold themselves to the same standards.

 

[Allegra]

I would suggest making it a sort of de facto interest free loan (because it was their mistake), and you can pay it back with each paycheck over the course of the next year until you reach the lump sum payment owed if that’s how they want to do it.

In fact, it should be easier to just reverse the mistake over the course of the next year rather than a lump sum payment.

If they want a lump sum payment to correct their error, I would be very skeptical, because that sounds more like just balancing the books and they don’t actually know exactly where the error was.

I hope this has helped

God Bless You

Thank you for reading
Josh

I don’t think the HR director has any idea where the error was, but I think the bookkeeper does. I did talk them into that arrangement, but my husband just wanted to pay it and get it out of the way. I’m glad that he’s not as upset as I thought he would be.

 

[josh987654321]

I did notice the increase in pay, but I was expecting an increase in pay because I began teaching two extra classes that were outside of my original contract. When the year began, I had a normal contract, but my school had to add a section of 3rd grade after the second week of school. The book keeper changed my contract, but forgot to subtract the amount I had already been paid for my first paycheck. Also, in the same paycheck, the new health insurance plan started, so I was expecting a change because of that as well. And you’ll be happy to know that we save money from every paycheck. We aren’t going to be sleeping on the street. However, we had specific financial plans that were made based on the amount I was getting for each paycheck. We are now going to have to change those plans in order to prevent from having to dip into the savings or charge things this summer. I blame my employer for what my employer did. Cutting checks accurately is their job. My job is teaching children. If the slightest thing goes wrong with my job, I never hear the end of it. They do not hold themselves to the same standards.

True, mistakes happen though, that’s why it’s always a good idea to just double check, the thing I would mostly take exception to is the lump sum payment, they should be able to spread that over the course of the year, either by reversing their error, or by an interest free loan that is paid in full over the course of the next year.

I hope this has helped

God Bless You

Thank you for reading
Josh

 

[josh987654321]

I don’t think the HR director has any idea where the error was, but I think the bookkeeper does. I did talk them into that arrangement, but my husband just wanted to pay it and get it out of the way. I’m glad that he’s not as upset as I thought he would be.

I’m not sure how it works in the US, but the reason I would be concerned with a lump sum payment, is because there are usually other things done based on a % of the income. A lump sum payment would balance their books, but not these other things.

It should tell you on your pay slip though, like the rates and any other deductions etc and then you could just ask them what the mistake was (Was it an incorrect rate?) and work it out yourself.

I hope this has helped

God Bless You

Thank you for reading
Josh

 

[utah_rose]

does your local TV station have an ombudsman that looks into things like this and tries to get it settled fairly? It’s amazing how a threat of bad publicity for your school district might twist their arms and make this better for you. Mist companies would not like this to air on TV, and I bet the taxoayers would be interested in knowing about this incompetence, especially if there are more people who’ve been affected by this.

I also can’t see why your Union didn’t insist that you’d be compensated by your bookkeepers error. Perhaps you could try notifying your local Presudent. let them know that more people are involved. That’s what your dues should be paying for, good representation when you need it.

I’d be mad too! I’ll be praying for you.

 

[MaryT777]

Come to think of it–why not do it totally differently?

Why can’t they just give you $65 less per paycheck for a year? Why does this all have to be done in a big lump?

This was my first thought. They could reduce your paycheck next year by a small amount to make up the difference.

Having worked several years in a school district and the way they contract each year that will probably not be a possibility but never the less why not ask?

 

[Allegra]

I’m not sure how it works in the US, but the reason I would be concerned with a lump sum payment, is because there are usually other things done based on a % of the income. A lump sum payment would balance their books, but not these other things.

It should tell you on your pay slip though, like the rates and any other deductions etc and then you could just ask them what the mistake was (Was it an incorrect rate?) and work it out yourself.

I hope this has helped

God Bless You

Thank you for reading
Josh

That’s actually the reason why they wanted just to cancel my last check rather than spread out payments. It would mess up my retirement, since the fiscal year has ended and the adjustment would have to be made to the following year. It would mess up retirement and taxes.

 

[Allegra]

does your local TV station have an ombudsman that looks into things like this and tries to get it settled fairly? It’s amazing how a threat of bad publicity for your school district might twist their arms and make this better for you. Mist companies would not like this to air on TV, and I bet the taxoayers would be interested in knowing about this incompetence, especially if there are more people who’ve been affected by this.

I also can’t see why your Union didn’t insist that you’d be compensated by your bookkeepers error. Perhaps you could try notifying your local Presudent. let them know that more people are involved. That’s what your dues should be paying for, good representation when you need it.

I’d be mad too! I’ll be praying for you.

I would never do that to my school district. Those programs cause so much trouble and they never portray the situation accurately, nor do the correct the mistakes they make. There isn’t much that my union rep could do. Her job is to see that they adhere to my contract, which they are. (the contracts are a set yearly amount.) The union can’t just demand anything they want. They bargain to change unfair policies and get us a fair wage, but they have to honor the contracts they’ve made as well. The only thing she might be able to do is help me file a grievance against the bookkeeper, but I don’t know that I want to spend my summer doing that! This already ruined my day, it doesn’t need to ruin my whole vacation!

 

[josh987654321]

That’s actually the reason why they wanted just to cancel my last check rather than spread out payments. It would mess up my retirement, since the fiscal year has ended and the adjustment would have to be made to the following year. It would mess up retirement and taxes.

How are those things calculated?

In Australia, we have ‘Tax Withholding’ which evens out come tax time, so this situation would not be an issue, but if the USA tax is paid based on your fortnightly/monthly pay, then because they overpaid you, you would have paid more tax in that period, and thus a lump sum payment would balance their books, but not the tax office, which you would have overpaid.

I hope this has helped

God Bless You

Thank you for reading
Josh

 

[Xantippe]

I would never do that to my school district. Those programs cause so much trouble and they never portray the situation accurately, nor do the correct the mistakes they make. There isn’t much that my union rep could do. Her job is to see that they adhere to my contract, which they are. (the contracts are a set yearly amount.) The union can’t just demand anything they want. They bargain to change unfair policies and get us a fair wage, but they have to honor the contracts they’ve made as well. The only thing she might be able to do is help me file a grievance against the bookkeeper, but I don’t know that I want to spend my summer doing that! This already ruined my day, it doesn’t need to ruin my whole vacation!

If the union doesn’t have a policy about this sort of thing yet, maybe they should.

 

[Allegra]

How are those things calculated?

In Australia, we have ‘Tax Withholding’ which evens out come tax time, so this situation would not be an issue, but if the USA tax is paid based on your fortnightly/monthly pay, then because they overpaid you, you would have paid more tax in that period, and thus a lump sum payment would balance their books, but not the tax office, which you would have overpaid.

I hope this has helped

God Bless You

Thank you for reading
Josh

Income tax is based on your yearly income. They withhold an estimated amount from each check, but at the end of the year they reimburse you for any extra you’ve paid. So taxes aren’t a problem.

 

[Allegra]

If the union doesn’t have a policy about this sort of thing yet, maybe they should.

The union doesn’t “have a policy”. They bargain with the school district in order to agree on policies. I don’t think that either party is too invested in a policy that states that all errors in arithmetic will be punished by public flogging. I have considered writing a letter to my building’s representative school board member though. They are directly responsible for the employment and training of the people at the administrative building and those folks get away with so much. Someone really should be keeping track of just how many mistakes they make and how long it takes them to fix them. As I’ve already said, we teachers are subject to scrutiny from every corner. The principals have to evaluate the teachers and staff constantly. The staff and faculty are then asked to evaluate the principals The parents and students are surveyed about the faculty, staff, and principals twice a year. We even have to fill out surveys on the food service staff, technology department, transportation department, and the office staff! We’re all expected to squeal on each other with glee for any slight impropriety or mistake, but in ten years I have yet to have a survey about the administrative building cross my desk or make the “ping” sound on my email. They are simply immune to accountability.

 

[Perian]

$130 a month is a lot of money, but not when you have 4, 5, 6, or more people with needs vying for it. $130 in a family setting slips away much faster than for a single person. If you have no reason to believe that money shouldn’t be there, like in the event of a small annual raise, you use it on what you need it for.

Just today, I spent about that much on clothing for my husband because his profession requires a certain wardrobe that is very expensive to build. He’s been subsisting at his professional job with three pairs of pants and three shirts. They’re falling apart because we haven’t circulated enough clothing through the week. He needed those clothes I bought today, all on sale. But, there it goes, $130.

And there’s always something. If the money is there and you think you have a whole paycheck coming, it’s not dumb to think it’s safe to meet some needs that have been on hold for a very long time. And, not to mention normal financial events. I don’t know about you, but but other than routine maintenance, our cars only have issues in increments of $400. Probably because replacing our 10+ year old cars is also a need we’ve been putting on hold for a very long time.

Why would a person assume they have to keep the belt as tight as it was last year when the paycheck says otherwise? Most people get a small percentage raise at the turn of a new year, and your paycheck fluctuates depending on how many days are in the month. You make more in March than you did in February. I just don’t think it’s that wild that you didn’t anticipate needing to pretend that the extra money wasn’t there.

I’m very sorry that happened. Like teachers need more stress in their lives.

 

[josh987654321]

Income tax is based on your yearly income. They withhold an estimated amount from each check, but at the end of the year they reimburse you for any extra you’ve paid. So taxes aren’t a problem.

Actually, they still can be. That’s good because it’s similar to Australia, nevertheless.

**Scenario 1) **

Lets say they overpaid me by $2,000.00

I put an income of $22,000.00 and the tax rate is lets say 1% and withholding is 3%, come tax time, they will have withheld $660.00 and I will pay $220.00 in tax, receiving $440.00 back at tax time.

Therefore total after tax is $22,000.00 - $220.00 = $21,780.00

Now I lump sum pay them $2,000.00 to balance their books.

$21,780.00 - $2,000.00 = $19,780.00

Total = $19,780.00

Scenario 2)

No overpayment.

I’m paid 20,000.00, where they withhold 3% over the year being $600.00 and then come tax time, I pay 1% in tax being $200.00 and get $400.00 back.

Therefore total after tax is $20,000.00 - $200.00 = $19,800.00

Total = $19,800.00

See the discrepancies? balancing their books with a lump sum payment meant I paid $20.00 extra in tax then I should have and that’s just with tax, then you would have to work it out in regards to your retirement thing which may or may not work out in your favor. it’s never a good idea to balance the books with a lump sum payment in matters like this, because there are other calculations involved, it’s not a simple stand alone over-payment in which a lump sum payment would work.

I hope this has helped

God Bless You

Thank you for reading
Josh