While I was in university, I worked at a candy shop during my last year. After I graduated, I quit the job, moved back home, and lived off some savings while job hunting. A month after leaving, the candy shop paid me £300. I figured it was leftover pay or some unpaid hours and didn’t think much of it. Now, a few months later, I’m out of savings, still job searching, and they’ve contacted me asking for that money back. I’m not in a position to pay it back immediately.
What options do I have here?
EDIT: Thank you for the advice, everyone! I’ve decided to reach out to them and arrange a repayment plan, but I’ll first ask for a breakdown of what I owe and why.
Not a lawyer, but I know someone who went through something similar while they were still working there. Under UK law, employers can usually ask for overpayments back, even if it was their mistake, as long as they’re reasonable and act within a fair timeframe. You might want to look up Section 13 of the Employment Rights Act 1996.
Best option? Reach out and explain the situation. They might agree to a payment plan that works for you.
@Cameron
Same thing happened to me as a teen, quit my job, but they paid me twice with £1.2k each time. Since I left on bad terms, I used the money while looking for a new job. Eventually, they came back for it and didn’t accept the £100 monthly plan I first offered. Ended up proposing £5 monthly out of frustration, which they accepted. It’s been going out of my account for about 10 years now.
Nuri said: @Tan
Just stop paying it, they might not even notice…
Honestly thought about it. Standing order now with a hundred payments listed like a scroll. Could probably stop paying the fiver, and they’d never even know.
Galen said: @Poe
I know a guy who owed £1k but had no income. He was allowed to pay £1 a week, and after a few cheques, they just stopped cashing them!
@Avery
Yep, the beauty was they couldn’t be bothered cashing those weekly cheques. We even joked about him dropping off a whole cheque book but decided not to push it.
