nik106
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I work for a small company and periodically they have money troubles, and we don't get paid on time, but the rest of the time they're generous. I'm probably very overpaid for the little work i do, and for the last 3 months i've been on reduced hours but on full pay (i'm salaried)
I've handed in my MAT B1 but my boss promised me full pay whilst i'm off on Maternity leave and said he is going to be flexible about my time off so i can go back whenever i want etc. But now, i'm in a bit of a pickle and i have no idea what i am going to do!
I went on leave Thursday 28th July, and was expecting to get paid on Friday 29th for July as i paid in arrears and get paid the last working day of the month. Except, my wages didn't arrive!
Now, my brother works for them too, and he not only got paid a day early, but they gave him and others between £2k and £3k payrise each on the 28th July, although they won't get extra money until the end of this month. We're quite close knit so i'm aware that 3 other people also weren't paid. The 3 others guys have been on at them as they are in the office, to find out whats going on and getting told "It'll be tomorrow" I've been through this enough times to know they fob us off until they have the money so it doesn't matter how many times you ask. But, the boys have been keeping me upto date with what's been said.
On Monday 1st August, i emailed the Director who has the majority share to ask if he had any idea what's happening, explained that my bills had just swallowed my mortgage app fee (we live here already but we have to raise funds to buy his brother out or we have to sell) and i got the following response:
Last Friday, one of the guys rang the other director as he was furious that he was being ignored. The other director says he wasn't aware that people were being ignored as he'd been told that they were being rung everyday and kept informed of what was happening and that he wasn't impressed that he'd been lied to about it. He took over, and spoke to the other 3 everyday - still no-ones talked to me. They got paid yesterday but when i checked i hadn't. So i emailed this one, as he was at least communicating with people. I was nice about it, and literally just asked if he knew what was happening as i'd emailed the other and hadn't recieved a reply. I got this email back:
And nothing, no other communication, no money and this is money that i actually worked for, not just maternity pay. What am i supposed to do? My OH is only on £8 an hour, and there work has dried up a lot so he's not doing anywhere as much overtime as he was. His basic 40 hours a week will only just cover our bills on the house and maybe food. But it won't cover the bills and debts i had before i met him. Last time they didn't pay us for a month, i spoke to CAB, and they said whilst i still worked there because i was still employed and on a high salary, i wasn't entitled to any help at all unless i left, even though i hadn't been paid. But, if i left, because it might be considered voluntary, i still might not qualify for help and there was no way to tell if it was until i left and applied.
Clearly i can't get just go out and look for another job as i'm just over a week off my due date, and i know from other people who have left when not paid, that i may never get what's owed to me. I can see me having to give up my maternity leave once the baby arrives just so i can be in the office to get paid, or get another job.
I don't have anything in writing other than the initial pay stated in my contract, which doesn't include any of my pay increases. Everytime i emailed regarding maternity leave so i would have things in writing, my boss talked to me in person. He said he didn't even need the MAT B1 as he wasn't going to claim it, but his accountant asked for it, but they didn't get it until i was after 30 weeks, which i believe is too late to claim for.
Does anyone have any idea of what i can do or where i stand?
I've handed in my MAT B1 but my boss promised me full pay whilst i'm off on Maternity leave and said he is going to be flexible about my time off so i can go back whenever i want etc. But now, i'm in a bit of a pickle and i have no idea what i am going to do!
I went on leave Thursday 28th July, and was expecting to get paid on Friday 29th for July as i paid in arrears and get paid the last working day of the month. Except, my wages didn't arrive!
Now, my brother works for them too, and he not only got paid a day early, but they gave him and others between £2k and £3k payrise each on the 28th July, although they won't get extra money until the end of this month. We're quite close knit so i'm aware that 3 other people also weren't paid. The 3 others guys have been on at them as they are in the office, to find out whats going on and getting told "It'll be tomorrow" I've been through this enough times to know they fob us off until they have the money so it doesn't matter how many times you ask. But, the boys have been keeping me upto date with what's been said.
On Monday 1st August, i emailed the Director who has the majority share to ask if he had any idea what's happening, explained that my bills had just swallowed my mortgage app fee (we live here already but we have to raise funds to buy his brother out or we have to sell) and i got the following response:
But, no pay came through, nor did he contact me. I emailed again on the 11th as whilst i have a facility to cover bills via my bank, its costing me £22 a week to do so - i'm overpaid, but i'm about to have a baby i need to provide for and a mortgage twice the size of what it was! I haven't rung them or sent other emails, so 2 in nearly 2 weeks isn't exactly harrassing. No reply whatsoever, so i spoke to one of the guys at work. The other 3 had to stop going in as they had a choice of eating or going to work. Our boss was apparently ignoring all texts, calls and emails from them too and my younger bro says on days that the boss has been in the office, he's ignored everyone "because he's ashamed" but hasn't been in for a week.
Last Friday, one of the guys rang the other director as he was furious that he was being ignored. The other director says he wasn't aware that people were being ignored as he'd been told that they were being rung everyday and kept informed of what was happening and that he wasn't impressed that he'd been lied to about it. He took over, and spoke to the other 3 everyday - still no-ones talked to me. They got paid yesterday but when i checked i hadn't. So i emailed this one, as he was at least communicating with people. I was nice about it, and literally just asked if he knew what was happening as i'd emailed the other and hadn't recieved a reply. I got this email back:
And nothing, no other communication, no money and this is money that i actually worked for, not just maternity pay. What am i supposed to do? My OH is only on £8 an hour, and there work has dried up a lot so he's not doing anywhere as much overtime as he was. His basic 40 hours a week will only just cover our bills on the house and maybe food. But it won't cover the bills and debts i had before i met him. Last time they didn't pay us for a month, i spoke to CAB, and they said whilst i still worked there because i was still employed and on a high salary, i wasn't entitled to any help at all unless i left, even though i hadn't been paid. But, if i left, because it might be considered voluntary, i still might not qualify for help and there was no way to tell if it was until i left and applied.
Clearly i can't get just go out and look for another job as i'm just over a week off my due date, and i know from other people who have left when not paid, that i may never get what's owed to me. I can see me having to give up my maternity leave once the baby arrives just so i can be in the office to get paid, or get another job.
I don't have anything in writing other than the initial pay stated in my contract, which doesn't include any of my pay increases. Everytime i emailed regarding maternity leave so i would have things in writing, my boss talked to me in person. He said he didn't even need the MAT B1 as he wasn't going to claim it, but his accountant asked for it, but they didn't get it until i was after 30 weeks, which i believe is too late to claim for.
Does anyone have any idea of what i can do or where i stand?
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