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.
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
Give it back, There is no reason to hold the money.
Your one selfish cunt I would look for any reason to fire your broke ass
Give it back..
Please return the money without asking questions.
Now you know it's not a bonus. Why not negotiate repayment plan?
If amount received not as part of any signed contract, you're bound to return. However, since it's company's mistake, you can negotiate with delayed return
I have never seen a post in life which doesn't have minimal acceptance/support say 5%. However this stupid incident falls in said rare most category. Shame, shame, shame for the action of post writer.
This is pretty simple, you're a thief, stealing money that you didn't earn. The company made a mistake and you decided that you got to keep the money illegally.
Suppose the situation was reversed. They made a mistake and didn't give you your full salary for the previous month. Using your logic, they could keep the money, because it was a mistake and they already spent that money, so, so sorry, so bad.
Nope you're just a thief and should be prosecuted for grand theft
It isnt your money even though it wasnt your mistake. If they had shorted you youd damn sure want it corrected. Dont be a scumbag
Your gilty of taking what is not yours. They shouldn't make others suffer for what you have done. HR has done this to make you look dishonest, which i belive your doing by not returning what isnt your. I personally would fire you for being dishonest.
I fully agree with you. Instead of messaging the delay of salary to entire staff, I would have fired this idiot.
You didn't earn that money, you should have returned it plain and simple. One job many years ago paid me 24k for 1 week by mistake. I notified them not them notifying me. Have some moral decency. This should not even be a discussion. If I were the employer your dishonesty and deceitful behavior would be a huge Red Flag about your integrity.
It was what is called, under the law, a mistake in fact. You are a thief and should be fired. You have some character flaws that need to be work out.
It's theft. You have no "ground" to stand on.
You have NO character, that is theft! You will reap what you sow! Be ready when something much worse happens to your finances!!!!!! Horrible!!!!!!!
The story sounds fake. HR wouldn't penalize an entire company because of one employee refusing to give back an overpayment nor would everyone figure out which employee caused this unless the employee told co-workers
Karma keeps the score. If you get a flat tire or a bad door ding. That's the world letting you know.
Or worse yet getting in a fender bender with a uninsured driver.
The day will arrive where you will be "paid back"
It is stealing and they can involve the police . Same as if the bank made a mistake and added 10000's into your account. It is theft. You should be a stand up person and return it and hope to God they don't file criminal charges.
I have been overpaid for separate times for the company I have been working for the last 21 years. 2 of those were very large sums(compared to my normal pay). All 4 times without hesitation I brought it to my employers attention and they told me they could not take it back all at once because of the payroll taxes they had paid but then ASKED me if they could take it back per paycheck in small increments. Of course I agreed and repaid. I would never of thought about keeping money (stealing) from my employer. They are the reason I have a roof over my families head, food on our table and clothes on our backs
The extra pay isn't yours. The company has policies, procedures, processes, and must follow legal steps to reclaim the overpayment. Taxes and PTO have to be adjusted also. The company needs to add an entry in your file that it was an accounting error. If you have indeed used some of the money, you'll have to set up a repayment schedule withHR.
Sorry no I think you should return the money . People even you make mistakes. You knew it wasn't your bonus really . It is stealing . You are making others suffer . You are lucky that you haven't lost your job . It is not about backing down , it's about doing what is right .
You're a THEIF!
You have a money card and not a bank account which means that you have ruined your credit with financial institutions. Your employer is forced to pay you on a reloadedable card. So you're not a personal of morality or of your word.
You also know your company doesn't gives bonus or at least they don't believe you deserve one because you would have received one prior.
Return the money. I don't know why they didn't fire you.
Lots of companies issue payroll cards for their convenience. I have 2 bank accounts (checking & savings) plus a payroll card.
You should have returned it immediately 🤦🤦 It's not up to you to decide that it's a bonus. It's stealing, don't be surprised when you're fired for theft from the company. It's somewhat amazing that you have a job, as dumb as you are. Jeeze
You're a thief. You knew you didn't deserve that money. You knew it was a mistake, but you chose to spend it anyway. So not only are you a thief, but you are also dishonest. You should be fired and the accidental duplicate check should be your last check with that company. They should also report the theft to your state unemployment commission so that perhaps you don't even qualify for unemployment.
What you did is not only unprofessional, it IS THEFT. You didn't make even the SMALLEST EFFORT to find out if it was a bonus or not. You can be fired and possibly prosecuted. When SOCIAL SECURITY accidentally overpaid people, they didn't just let it slide. They went after those who didn't return the money, and this was YEARS AFTER THE OVERPAYMENT. You knew it immediately. Pay it back and STOP SCREWING UP YOUR COWORKERS ability to live their normal lives. If you did spend it already, GO GET A SECOND JOB. JUST PAY IT BACK.
You knowingly took money and spent it that didn't belong to you bc if an error.
That is stealing.... That is no different than the bank taking more money out of your account for a bill on accident and then don't give it back.
An error is still an error and you don't get to benefit from it. Where do you think that money comes from?
im guessing you live with your parents and they haven't been there for you to teach you morals values or being a decent human being
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.
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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.
