Company continues sending $5,000 in paychecks to former employee who repeatedly reports the payroll error but receives no response from HR: ‘It is a very poorly run business and she has experienced silly things like this with the company before’

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Etai Eshet • Editor
Feb 17, 2025 1:00 PM EST

In the endless game show of corporate incompetence, nothing tests our moral fiber quite like accidentally receiving money we didn't earn. It's a peculiar psychological experiment: how long can a normally honest person sit on a windfall before their conscience (or anxiety) gets the better of them?

While we all dream about sticking it to The Man, there's something uniquely stressful about being gifted cash through administrative bungling. It's like finding a wallet, except the owner is a faceless entity that probably spends more on office coffee than your annual salary.

These situations force us to wrestle with our complicated relationship with the corporate world. On one shoulder sits the angel reminding us about integrity and doing the right thing; on the other, a tiny devil calculating how many months of student loans this could pay off. And let's be honest - most of us would lose sleep either way, torn between moral obligation and the tempting thought that maybe, just maybe, the universe is finally balancing its books in our favor.

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  • "Wife’s old employer overpaid her by nearly $5,000–silence on their end."

    "How long are we legally obligated to continue notifying them?"
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    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • My wife left her role approximately two months ago in MA. After she left, her pay continued―same exact check as if her benefits were taken out and all. She notified HR immediately
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  • and they assured her it was her vacation payout (later discovered to be untrue as that payout eventually came). She has sent multiple emails to different
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  • departments and has essentially gotten nowhere. It is a very poorly run business and she has experienced silly things like this with the company before. Not necessarily overpayment, but lack of administrative coordination.
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  • We have not spent the money and are liquid with it as soon as they request it back.
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  • Cheezburger Image 10467313408
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    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Every corporate mishap that lands in our favor comes with its own shoulder-dwelling moral committee. This eternal shoulder debate gets especially heated when it comes to accidental corporate payouts. 

    The angel starts quoting workplace conduct manuals and muttering about “doing the right thing,” while the devil rolls its eyes and presents a PowerPoint about wealth inequality and how many unpaid overtime hours you’ve worked. Meanwhile, you’re stuck in the middle, watching your moral compass spin like it’s had too much coffee, wondering if honest people deserve to lose sleep over someone else’s accounting errors.

  • However, we are nearing three months. How long are we legally obligated to continue notifying them of the overpayment, if at all? When can we take full legal possession of the money without fear of giving it back, if at all?
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  • DialJforJasper OP Fortunately, she had accepted a better role with better pay at a great company :)
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  • EccentricBalderdash In Massachusetts, the statute of limitations for an employer to recover overpaid wages is six years. You can not take full legal possession of the money for six years.
    via EccentricBalderdash
  • This is based on the general contract law statute of limitations outlined in Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 260, Section 2. Yeah, I had to look that up.
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  • Legally, you should just send them a check for the money or set it aside in a separate bank account (like a high interest savings so you at least make something) and wait for 6 years until you touch the money.
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  • Most companies close out their previous year's books before the end of March and will not reopen them for $5,000.
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  • DialJforJasper OP Super helpful. I wonder if it makes sense to toss it in with our mutual funds and see if we can make a little off the interest.
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  • Sirwired The money is yours when the statute of limitations for a debt in your state elapses. Which will be years.
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  • Cheezburger Image 10467313152
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    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Beautiful-Plastic-83 You've told them multiple times, so I'd just keep it in a separate savings account, let it accumulate, and when the statute of limitations end, start withdrawing it.
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  • The liklihood is that it will be discovered when they do their taxes, and then you'll be hearing from them.
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  • 47986 Check her w-2. Is it included? You might need to make an appointment with the head of HR or someone in legal.
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  • Gnie99 Most likely, she will receive notice upon the company detecting it. Then there will be a draft to her account to remove the funds paid in error.
    via Gnie99
  • Your_Moms_Box When did the vacation payout occur? It should have been in her final paycheck
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  • If not you are entitled to double damages under fair wage act.
    via Your_Moms_Box

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management boss workplace-stories hr toxic-workplace manager bosses work PTO managers supervisor workplace Horrible Bosses work-life balance
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