Many people face unfair situations at work, especially when money and office pressure collide. From payroll mistakes to sudden accusations, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you’re just trying to do your job. Recently, someone reached out to us with a story about being paid twice by error and what followed next.
You should return the extra amount that was mistakenly transferred to your account. It does not You should return the extra amount that was mistakenly transferred to your account. It does not belong to you. Everyone makes human errors, and holding on to this money is unfair to all. Please don’t be unethical or unreasonable. to you. Everyone makes human errors, and holding on to this money is unfair to all. Please don’t be unethical or unreasonable.
That was unethical, you knew it was an error. You shouldn't have spent the money
You need to understand what is yours and what is not yours.
If you go to the grocery store, would you take anything without paying, or would you take things after paying? You pay because without payment, you haven't earned it. In the same way, any amount you have not earned is not yours; you must return it.
Put yourself in the accountant's place: If you mistakenly transferred money to an employee and that employee refused to return it, how would you feel?
If you choose not to return it, remember that every act is a seed you sow. The day will come when you will eat the fruit of that seed.
Just return the money, karen
Just return the money, karen
It is not upbringing n people should stop saying she's a thief. There are companies where you work so hard like crazy, yet they don't give you bonus, marginally reward you..you stay out enduring the injustice. That is where she comes from. As an employee, our bargaining power is weak. We can't fight for the decent bonus or increment, but to endlessly endure it. Having said that,doesn't mean you can keep the extra salary. You still need to do the right thing, not what u think is right, but the right thing by law.
Just because you are under valued as an employee still doen't entitle you to get whatever you can from them!!
This is money u did not earn, so is consider stealing. Yes i understand the logic it was a mistake by the company and you have nothing to do with it. But in life everyone made mistakes and is everyones responsibility to fix a mistake. Just because you didn't made the mistake yourself and you should be ok with it? No thats not how things work, so next time if the company made another mistake but instead of overpay you, this time they underpay you, are you goner be ignoring the underpay and say is the company that made the mistake and i should accept it.
Not returning the money in error is basically stealing.
I totally disagree!! Yes, they made a mistake..however it is unprofessional to keep the money because it wasn't yours to begin with...I would have immediately told them when I saw it...Just my opinion..
That would be the right thing to do.
Also it's the law in the US.
Lets flip the table a minute. If payroll skipped your pay by accident do you think they'll correct it immediately or will they tell you to suck it up and wait for next paycheck without adding the one you missed? This expectation has to go both ways. If they won't pay you missed pay, they cannot be expected to get back overpay.
British companies would not do that. They would probably issue the employee a company check.
Nice example of being a THIEF, no matter which side you are on.
I work for 7-11 and awhile back when everyone at my store got their payroll, it was doubled the amount of a normal pay for the week. What happened was, someone in our payroll department gave our store employees payroll from another store. Which that week that store didn't get their pay. But we found out from our boss, that money belonged to another store and we had to pay it back, it was only fair, those people needed their money just everyone else. If we would have spent that money we would of had to pay it back. So she should have given the money back so the other employees could have their pay as well. People make mistakes, and your pretty much telling your coworkers that don't need their money which is wrong. What would you do if someone else got your pay and decided to keep it? I don't think you would have liked that at all. Think about your actions, cause others got punished for that.
What is wrong with this feed?. Every State has a law that dictates to employers how the collect overpayment on pay. She doesn't have a choice to keep the money. And why would you want to Sh-t in the company that pays you? In addition, if you work for an At-will employer, you could have just set in motion your termination. Know the law and stop assuming the employer doesn't have options in getting their money back. Crazy!
Sure it's not your fault they made a mistake and your overpayment is most likely not the reason for delayed payments however you know that it was a mistake and even though HR is being petty, you should point your moral compass in the right direction and give them back their money. You spent money you hadn't earned so in essence you stole from your employer . Ask yourself if that's how you want to be perceived and whatever your answer is, I hope it sits well with you. Show some integrity and pride in who you are, unless of course you have neither.
Exactly!
Nelly you done nothing wrong. I would have done the same if I were you
Another THIEF!
To the people (J Kinsella) that keeps down voting all of the SENSIBLE PEOPLE who know a THIEF when we read about them, you should AT LEAST MAN UP, and tell us WHY you don't agree with us. Otherwise, you should NOT BOTHER. Your opinion does matter, but you should at least have the courage to say it (in this case, write it) , so we can get your POV.
Dear Bright Side,
I got 2 salaries into my card by error.
Next day, HR told me to return one. I refused. She called me “unprofessional.”
I told her: “It’s not my fault accounting messed up. I already used the money. I thought it was an end-of-year bonus for my work.”
She warned me: “Pay it back now, or you won’t receive your next salary.”
I replied: “Then you’ll be hearing from my lawyer. I shouldn’t be punished for a mistake I didn’t make.”
She smiled and didn’t say a word.
The next day, everyone in the office turned white. We all got an email that said: “Due to a recent financial issue, next month’s salaries will be delayed. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
News spread quickly, and my colleagues figured out I was involved. They’ve been giving me uncomfortable looks. Obviously, my one payment error isn’t the real reason salaries are delayed, but HR clearly used it to turn everyone against me.
That night, I froze when I got a knock on my door. It was two of my colleagues almost begging me to return the extra salary because they can’t afford any delay. One said, “We have families to feed. We’re getting punished because of this.”
Now I’m torn. I don’t want others to suffer, but I still believe I shouldn’t have to return money that wasn’t my mistake. I never receive bonuses, and I felt like that extra payment was finally something I deserved.
Should I stand my ground?
Nelly
Thank you, Nelly, for sharing your story with us so openly. We can see how heavy and unfair this situation feels, especially with your coworkers now caught in the middle. You’re not wrong for feeling torn.
We’ve put together a set of tailored, practical pieces of advice to help you navigate this specific mess with clarity and control.
i think you should be kicked out of work , even if you return the money after all this hassle , your behavior shows your level of honesty
Before giving in, prepare a short written agreement: you’ll return the extra salary only if HR confirms in writing that:
This forces HR to admit the truth on paper. If they refuse to put it in writing, your colleagues will see clearly who’s really causing the delay, not you.
Request a formal payroll clarification email from HR to all staff, asking them to “outline the operational reason for the salary delay,” without mentioning your situation.
They can’t repeat the lie in writing, it creates liability. The moment they send a neutral explanation, your coworkers will realize HR used your case as a smokescreen. This shifts pressure back where it belongs and lifts it off your shoulders.
Your advice is totally inappropriate and illegal. If this was an end of year bonus it would be identified as such if this is the United States of America because a bonus check typically will have significantly more taxes taken out both at the federal and state level then a normal regular paycheck would. Additionally there would be no deductions for volunteering involuntary deductions like health insurance life insurance and so forth. If payroll makes a mistake and overpays an employee in almost every state in the nation that employees required to pay that money back the only way the employee could get out of it is if it said bonus if it didn't say bonus they were double paid. There's not enough information in the story to determine how much of a liar the employee is but the liability lies with the employee not the employer I ran a federal union
Invite the two coworkers who came to your door for a short coffee the next morning. Tell them calmly, step by step, what HR said to you in that live conversation, especially the part where she threatened to withhold your next salary if you didn’t pay back immediately.
Make it clear you never refused out of greed, but out of fairness and shock. They don’t have to take your side, but once they hear exactly how HR handled you, they’re more likely to see you as another victim of pressure, not the reason their salaries are delayed.
I've been overpaid a few times in the past and what normal happened if it was $100. or less they would take it back on the next check more than that they offered a choice of taking it all on the next check or taking a little out of the next several checks. either way they will get their money back it's better to work with them then against them.
Tell HR you’re willing to consider returning the extra salary only if :
This shows empathy toward your coworkers while refusing to accept financial damage for an accounting error you didn’t cause. It also forces HR to fix the real problem before asking anything from you.
In our hardest moments, life sometimes sends us people who feel like quiet guardian angels. From small acts of empathy to powerful gestures of compassion, these stories remind us how kindness can mend what the world often breaks. Here are 15 real stories that prove gentle kindness can truly heal.
Well, if this were true. The employer likely wouldn't have caught it this quick. My dear departed father once said " if the IRS overpass, stick the extra in the bank, don't touch it. Let it accrue interest (back in the day) when they finally notice their error, t h en return the money, you have made a little on intrest.
It is apparent that you've never been in the army or the military. Mistakes are made all the time and they definitely have a right and do come after the money they overpaid.
The easiest way to understand ths issue is to look at the reverse. What if your employer inadvertently deducted double the withholding portion of your remuneration? They shorted your cheque. Once discovered, do they owe you the amount improperly taken from your pay? Obviously, yes. The converse where the error is in your favour, the money has to be returned. Common sense.
it's responses like this that make me think brightside is an AI all around. if this letter is real, I expect the writer knew it was wrong which is how she managed to spend it all in one night.
Return the money. It wasn’t yours to begin with.
