Piddlin’ Pennies. 99,926 of them to be exact
December 18, 2006
We’re coming perilously close to the end of the year and the thought of unfinished business occurs to me. The issue of the overpayment from some months ago is still unresolved. I’d asked Little Boss what he wanted to do about it because he’d expressed doubts about the payroll coordinator’s reliability when she brought me the worksheet detailing the exact amount I needed to pay back to the department a while ago. He didn’t think she could be trusted to correct the error because she’s the one who caused the problem in the first place. He’s got a point because she has a terrible track record when it comes to dealing with our office. He suggested that we take the worksheet to the payroll department (not the same person) and find out if the calculations were accurate. The funny thing is, the secretary experienced the same problem and she pointed out to me that because it was payroll’s error, there wasn’t a darn thing they could do if she didn’t pay it back. I wonder if she ever paid hers back.
For my part, I don’t feel comfortable keeping the money if that’s not really my money. I mean, my job and my reputation is worth more than a thousand bucks – I didn’t work my tushy off just to be remembered as the person who kept some chunk of money that didn’t belong to me! But what he wants is rather ambiguous because he made the comment that he’d considered calling the money (part of?) our bonuses if it didn’t make me unhappy because it was money “already spent.” Well I wouldn’t mind because it’s not spent, though I did throw the money in my e-fund to accumulate interest while we made a decision. I don’t count that money as mine or as part of my net worth. And payroll taxes were already taken out of it so I wouldn’t have to worry about dealing with a big fat 1099 this year, that’d be nice!
I should just go ahead and make out the check and see if he’ll take it. It’s an odd thing, trying to give your boss a payroll rebate.
You are smart not to spend the overpayment. Many people this time of year would have spent it. It would then, in effect, become a loan from your employer. Bad idea. You are completely right, your reputation is worth more than $1000. Good for you for realizing that.