Mad, and no one to complain to

[Allegra]

So, I don’t really know why I’m posting this. I don’t really need advice or anything. But I’m really, really MAD about it and I can’t complain at work, or on facebook, so I figured I’d complain to you and I’d really appreciate it if you told me I was completely justified in my anger.

So, here is the situation. I am a teacher and I am paid every two weeks, except for the last five payments of the year, which are dolled out at once, at the beginning of summer vacation. When my stubs arrived this morning, the last one was missing. When I called HR to inquire about it, I was called back by one of the superintendents and told that I wasn’t getting it because I had been over-paid during the rest of the year.

I went to a meeting with him and it does seem legit that they had been overpaying me around $65 every two weeks and so they are cancelling my last paycheck. This was a mistake caused by the bookkeeper, who put the wrong amount into the computer. The superintendent apologized and the bookkeeper suggesting that I should do summer work so I can pay my mortgage in August. Summer work pays about half of what it would cost to get childcare for my children. Also, my department’s request for pre-approved summer work was declined.

But anyway, this all comes to a $1400 check that we were expecting that isn’t coming. And I’m MAD! This is going to effect our family’s summer plans significantly, and it makes me MAD that we have to tighten the belt and aren’t going to get to do all the stuff we were looking forward to doing because we were forced to take out a loan we never asked for and now have to pay back. I’m also MAD that the superintended, who is paid three times the amount of the average teacher, will be sitting by the pool this summer, wondering why I don’t just do some summer work to make up the difference.

Also, I’m MAD that for a teacher, every move that we make is subjectively scrutinized, from our apparel, to our tone of voice, to our body language, to whether or not we immediately return a phone call made at 5PM at night, to what beverage we choose when we are out to dinner, to how we keep our gradebook, to what rules we make for our own classroom, to whether our classroom is fun enough or too fun, to whether we smile too much, to if we give enough homework, or too much homework, to pretty much everything else imaginable. Every tiny thing we do is considered a massive big deal and the slightest mistake, or even difference of opinion, could be the next story on the evening news. But if the bookkeeper, whose only job is to type numbers into a computer accurately, makes a mistake that significantly impacts me and my family… Mistakes happen.

 

[pensmama87]

Yup, I’d be mad.

Not only that it happened, but also how they told you about it. How long ago did they find out, and why would they just decide to handle it by giving you one fewer paycheck? Did they think you wouldn’t notice?

Maybe good ole CAF won’t care for this, but I think it’s worth checking with your union rep. Not that you’d get that money back necessarily, but man, that’s shifty.

 

[Tablefor9]

Shady. I’d be hot.

 

[Allegra]

Yup, I’d be mad.

Not only that it happened, but also how they told you about it. How long ago did they find out, and why would they just decide to handle it by giving you one fewer paycheck? Did they think you wouldn’t notice?

Maybe good ole CAF won’t care for this, but I think it’s worth checking with your union rep. Not that you’d get that money back necessarily, but man, that’s shifty.

Because I didn’t find out about it until the day after the last day of school, when I called them on the missing stub, and because the HR director didn’t want to talk to me about it over the phone, I was suspicious, and I had my union rep and principal both go with me. Their story was legit, in that I had been overpaid. But it was their fault and I think they should suck it up.

 

[1990Domer]

Allegra,

If this is the case, and if you can do it, I would actually demand that the district be audited because of the mistake. Sadly, all the bookkeepers transactions are now suspect, including if the correct payroll tax was taken out, benefits, dues, etc.

Do you know of anyone else this happened to? I know you said you can’t post it on Facebook, but I was talking of maybe hearing something through the grapevine. No offense, when all is said and done, perhaps the bookkeeper should be docked. Plus, they usually have insurance to cover if such a thing happens.

Good luck!

 

[Patavium]

I understand the feeling.

This happened to me with a job I held in 2012. I was been paid a little amount too incorrectly for a few months, so it is kind of hard to notice. Then one day, they discount all those little amounts to ONE paycheck… and of course whatever , they had to do it because it was an error, which I understood, but I did not plan for it.

I was MAD too, and yes you are justified for it. This disrupts important financial planning.

 

[Catholic1954]

I do feel your pain. Years ago, the Navy did this regularly to the enlisted. WE were expected to know how much we were to be paid for each check and report any discrepancies to the disbursing office. It could develop into a big mess and the payroll people were never held responsible for their mistakes.

 

[ClearWater]

Sorry this happened to you.

I’ll pray for you.

 

[Xantippe]

Yup, I’d be mad.

Not only that it happened, but also how they told you about it. How long ago did they find out, and why would they just decide to handle it by giving you one fewer paycheck? Did they think you wouldn’t notice?

Maybe good ole CAF won’t care for this, but I think it’s worth checking with your union rep. Not that you’d get that money back necessarily, but man, that’s shifty.

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?

 

[Xantippe]

Allegra,

If this is the case, and if you can do it, I would actually demand that the district be audited because of the mistake. ** Sadly, all the bookkeepers transactions are now suspect, including if the correct payroll tax was taken out, benefits, dues, etc. **

Do you know of anyone else this happened to? I know you said you can’t post it on Facebook, but I was talking of maybe hearing something through the grapevine. No offense, when all is said and done, perhaps the bookkeeper should be docked. Plus, they usually have insurance to cover if such a thing happens.

Good luck!

That is a very good point.

 

[egretps]

I’ll pray for you too! I’m so sorry you have to deal with this at this.

What might have put me over the edge is this:

The superintendent apologized and the bookkeeper suggesting that I should do summer work so I can pay my mortgage in August. Summer work pays about half of what it would cost to get childcare for my children. Also, my department’s request for pre-approved summer work was declined.

I would have had a hard time keeping a straight face. I have no poker face whatsoever, I’d have worn the “Your kidding me right?” face.

Yep, I’d be angry. I’d vent, and then start planning a course of action to prevent this nonsense from ever putting me behind the “8” ball ever again.

Perhaps for next year to make certain the math is correct with that first paycheck. Calmly sitting down with the bookkeeper to make sure. Not embarrassing or public humiliation of him or her. No burning an effigy of them in the courtyard. The support staff needs to be on YOUR side, try using some of that ‘classroom management’ on that bookkeeper.

Offer them mercy, it’s better when they aren’t even aware you are offering it to them. Because they do deserve a swift kicking for causing you this much aggravation and turmoil and THEN suggesting you work more.
I’m not kidding, I say it all the time, but have a Mass said for the bookkeeper and your Super. In my life, I’d be on the website for the Seraphic Mass Association and getting that request in tonight. You don’t have to send a Mass card.

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.

 

[Anglewannabe]

yup, there is reason to be mad. But… since this is a Catholic forum, I do need to mention that after venting for a while, it will be a good idea to try and find forgiveness in your heart. Not for them, but for your own inner peace

Angie

 

[phil_at_dayboro]

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,

 

[egretps]

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,

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!!

 

[johnnyc176]

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?

I have been overpaid and underpaid and when I was overpaid they got their money pretty quickly…like the next check. But when I was underpaid it took forever for them to make up the difference lol.

Always keep track of your salary.

 

[PaulfromIowa]

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?

 

[josh987654321]

So, I don’t really know why I’m posting this. I don’t really need advice or anything. But I’m really, really MAD about it and I can’t complain at work, or on facebook, so I figured I’d complain to you and I’d really appreciate it if you told me I was completely justified in my anger.

So, here is the situation. I am a teacher and I am paid every two weeks, except for the last five payments of the year, which are dolled out at once, at the beginning of summer vacation. When my stubs arrived this morning, the last one was missing. When I called HR to inquire about it, I was called back by one of the superintendents and told that I wasn’t getting it because I had been over-paid during the rest of the year.

I went to a meeting with him and it does seem legit that they had been overpaying me around $65 every two weeks and so they are cancelling my last paycheck. This was a mistake caused by the bookkeeper, who put the wrong amount into the computer. The superintendent apologized and the bookkeeper suggesting that I should do summer work so I can pay my mortgage in August. Summer work pays about half of what it would cost to get childcare for my children. Also, my department’s request for pre-approved summer work was declined.

But anyway, this all comes to a $1400 check that we were expecting that isn’t coming. And I’m MAD! This is going to effect our family’s summer plans significantly, and it makes me MAD that we have to tighten the belt and aren’t going to get to do all the stuff we were looking forward to doing because we were forced to take out a loan we never asked for and now have to pay back. I’m also MAD that the superintended, who is paid three times the amount of the average teacher, will be sitting by the pool this summer, wondering why I don’t just do some summer work to make up the difference.

Also, I’m MAD that for a teacher, every move that we make is subjectively scrutinized, from our apparel, to our tone of voice, to our body language, to whether or not we immediately return a phone call made at 5PM at night, to what beverage we choose when we are out to dinner, to how we keep our gradebook, to what rules we make for our own classroom, to whether our classroom is fun enough or too fun, to whether we smile too much, to if we give enough homework, or too much homework, to pretty much everything else imaginable. Every tiny thing we do is considered a massive big deal and the slightest mistake, or even difference of opinion, could be the next story on the evening news. But if the bookkeeper, whose only job is to type numbers into a computer accurately, makes a mistake that significantly impacts me and my family… Mistakes happen.

It was not only his mistake, but It’s wrong I think for him to just cut a paycheck out, especially since as you say it will have an impact on you, if he made the mistake of overpaying a small amount each paycheck during the year, then he can correct it over the course of the next year, he can find all the payments that were overpaid, workout by how much, and then underpay the next year by that amount to even it out instead of cutting one pay check. I would ask whether he can do that.

And then double check the pay yourself so it doesn’t happen again (especially if they underpay you, chances are they just wont bring it to your attention and they’ll get away with it).

I hope this has helped

God Bless You

Thank you for reading
Josh

 

[Allegra]

Allegra,

If this is the case, and if you can do it, I would actually demand that the district be audited because of the mistake. Sadly, all the bookkeepers transactions are now suspect, including if the correct payroll tax was taken out, benefits, dues, etc.

Do you know of anyone else this happened to? I know you said you can’t post it on Facebook, but I was talking of maybe hearing something through the grapevine. No offense, when all is said and done, perhaps the bookkeeper should be docked. Plus, they usually have insurance to cover if such a thing happens.

Good luck!

There were two others.

 

[josh987654321]

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?

It was the employers fault. Most people assume the paycheck is correct, it’s the payroll officer who should have been doing his/her job correctly. Admittedly, if it were $58.00 ($1,400/24) higher each fortnight all of a sudden, I would have been double checking because that’s a big raise, nevertheless the employer should at least give the option of one payment or spreading it out by the same amount over the course of the next year I think.

God Bless You

Thank you for reading
Josh

 

[Allegra]

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?

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!