#FinancialStruggles #MistakesHappen #CareerWoes #EmployerBlunder
Have you ever experienced a situation where your employer’s mistake ends up costing you almost $3000? Imagine the shock and frustration of thinking you were making a certain amount only to find out that due to an error on your employer’s part, you actually owe them money. This is the exact predicament that one associate therapist recently faced, and the emotions of anger, frustration, and annoyance that come with it are all too real.
## The Unforeseen Financial Blow
I’m an associate therapist in private practice and recently made the switch to a new practice that I absolutely love. Everything seemed perfect – from the work environment to the pay, it was a dream come true. That is until I received an email from my boss stating that instead of receiving my commission rate of 50%, I had been paid at 100% in error. This meant that I had actually earned half of what I thought I did, and now owed the full sum back to the practice. The prospect of having to choose how much to deduct from my upcoming paychecks until the amount is repaid was daunting and frustrating to say the least.
## Dealing with Anger and Frustration
The feelings of anger, frustration, and annoyance are completely valid in this situation. It’s natural to be upset when faced with unexpected financial obligations as a result of someone else’s mistake. It’s crucial to acknowledge and process these emotions before moving forward with finding a solution.
## Finding a Path Forward
While it may seem overwhelming at first, there are practical steps that can be taken to address this issue and navigate through the challenging situation:
### 1. Communicate with Your Employer
Open up a dialogue with your employer to discuss the situation and seek clarification on the error that occurred. Express your concerns and work towards finding a resolution that works for both parties.
### 2. Develop a Repayment Plan
Collaborate with your employer to create a repayment plan that is feasible and sustainable for both sides. Consider factors such as the amount owed, your current financial situation, and the timeline for repayment.
### 3. Seek Financial Guidance
If needed, consult with a financial advisor or counselor to help you navigate through the financial implications of this situation. They can provide valuable insights and support in managing your finances during this time.
### 4. Practice Self-Care
During this challenging period, it’s essential to prioritize self-care and well-being. Engage in activities that help you relax and destress, such as exercise, meditation, or spending time with loved ones.
In conclusion, facing a financial setback due to your employer’s mistake can be incredibly disheartening. However, by addressing the issue head-on, communicating effectively, and seeking practical solutions, you can navigate through this difficult period and emerge stronger on the other side. Remember that mistakes happen, and what’s important is how we choose to respond and grow from them. Stay resilient and focused on finding a resolution that works best for you. You’ve got this! 💪🏼✨
I’m an associate therapist in private practice and switched to a new practice in January. I love it, it is SO much better than my previous employer, my coworkers are significantly more aligned with my values and identities than at my previous practice. The pay is also almost 2x the amount I was getting paid at my first position out of grad school. I truly have had no problems or seen any red flags up to this point.
Today I got an email from my boss telling me that instead of paying my commission rate of 50%, the practice had mistakenly paid me 100%. So I actually made HALF of what I thought I made, and now owe that entire sum back to the practice. I now get the great privilege of getting to choose how much I’d like them to deduct from my upcoming paychecks until the money is paid back.
I’m just fucking angry and frustrated and annoyed that there is no single person to blame for this. Mostly just venting, but if anyone has any insight that’s very welcome.
Request that the pay-back be done over as a lengthy period as is possible. Ask for at least 2 years so that the hit is as soft as possible. Emphasize that it’s their mistake, not yours.
I’m curious how this affects taxes that have been taken out of your paycheck?
Oh that sucks. My insurance requires a spousal surcharge where I pay extra because he has insurance available to him. I signed something saying he does. They deducted it a few times, then refunded it, then stopped deducting it at which point my husband noticed that my pay had been 3 different amounts in 4 months.
They said Oh we didn’t know your husband works here. I said He doesn’t! But he had taught there one semester and not full time. So then I had to give all the money back. It wasn’t crazy but a decent amount and irritating.
I would say it’s a red flag but if you got paid x2 what you were supposed to get paid and you are making x2 compared to your last job, you are still coming out way ahead in the long run.
Make sure to throw a little guilt their way about the financial hardships they are causing you from this. Try to get them to throw more clients your way if that’s possible and what you want or something.
I’d check with the department of labor there is a narrow window the company has to discover their error. Really depends on the state. Search “your state overpayment”
This happened to me a few weeks ago, I was paid $2000 too much. To keep my mortgage payments on track, I really wanted it straightened out ASAP so they took it out of two paychecks, and reversed the $900 tax payment so over three weeks so I got a full paycheck in between.
Make sure you see the both the complete reversal and revised amount as separate statements issued in your paycheck and ask if you have any questions- they need to fix the taxes paid amount because it was at a much higher rate.
I would request to pay it back of the rest over the year or at least 6 months.
My SO is a therapist. When he was just starting out, he worked at a mental hospital for teen as an outpatient counselor. By accident one day they sent him a sheet showing what they billed his services out for – it was 4x his pay. He was livid for weeks.
Now he owns his own practice.
Work for other people as long as you have to, in your field especially.
What state are you in? Some states don’t allow employers to recoup overpayments.
Over 3k F them quit, their lawyer fees to recuperate will be more than the reward. Sign up for a week of vacation and find another job. They will take you last check hence why you use vacation.
Tell them it can either come out over the course of a year or you can walk. It is a mistake THEY made, not you.
Couple things remember they are JUST like any other person that owes you money. They cant withhold future paychecks or play games or dip in without permission.
Second is demand complete and total amount details as well as compare to original discrepancy’s. Anything fishy contest it.
knowing your not going to roll over and if they don’t agree they will have to chase it in court like anyone else. They will likely knock off any shady crap.
Then if legit agree to it but i would play it coy didn’t realize I made so little and shoot for longest span you can get. BUT emphasize that it was their mistake you might be able to pressure a small raise to offset it and make the impact as small as possible.
Also get repayment and tax statements for both old and new checks as if you dont you will lose 1-2k in taxes by time you paid first 3k taxes. And the second 3k taxes on money going to pay them back.
I thought that was your pay bump?
This post really just shows how paying employees well makes them happy by paying them well.
Then you have the 2nd section, where the reality kicks in where it’s shit pay, it’s your fault, here is more stress, I hate my job.
Another solution: withhold $3000 of your future commissions. That way you don’t pay anything back and they’ve already prepaid you $3000 for your future sales/commissions.
Not berating you, but how did you not realize you were being paid double your negotiated salary?
To be fair, it is your fault for taking and spending money you had to know you didn’t earn.
The only person to “blame” is yourself. Someone made a clerical me stake. How should they go about this in your opinion? You are lucky they are asking you how YOU want to repay it. A lot of times they def cut a standard 100%, 50% or 33% as policy for overpays or non-commissions.
It does suck. Sorry you’ll have to tighten up for a few months
God that sucks I’m so sorry that happened to you. But in the end you can’t be that mad about it because you got money that you shouldn’t of had, so now you are just making them whole.
But that’s so disappointing. Are you still making twice as much even with the correction? I hope so
As someone that processes payroll I think I should mention that mistakes do happen and that is why we tell our employees to check their pay stubs for any errors. Sometimes the errors are my fault or the system we use. EDI feeds get messed up or there is a miscommunication. It sucks for sure but hopefully they will work with you to pay it back slowly.
Don’t sign anything yet-
Check on what the state overpayment window is where you are, employers often only have a certain amount of time in which they are entitled to take back money from an error on their end, and in some states (like California) they legally cannot take it back at all.
You can definitely do a Google check if you’d like, but with an amount that high, it’s also worth getting a consultation with an employment lawyer. Most of them do consults for free. You could also check with the DOL, as they might have even more specific info for you.
Either way, DO NOT sign anything or lay out a repayment plan of any kind until you prove definitively that they have a legal right to recoup the money from you.
I don’t know what the legal answer is but as the owner of a small private practice, my perspective is that it’s their mistake and if they were good people, they would just eat it, and chalk it up to the cost of doing business. For a business, $3k is really not much, but for you, it’s likely a whole lot. The good will that they would generate from being the bigger person should be worth far more than the money to them, and the damage that they have done by demanding it back will cost them a whole lot more when they have to replace you because you are disgusted by their behavior. Just my opinion. Sorry this is happening to you.