Unpaid wages after employment ends

Final pay should be reconciled component by component. A single net bank transfer does not reveal whether salary, accrued holiday, notice, commission and deductions have all been dealt with correctly.

Calculate what each item relates to

Record the final working day, termination date and normal payday. Compare wages due for work performed with the payslip. Check accrued holiday against leave taken and distinguish contractual notice pay from any additional settlement payment.

Ask for the basis of disputed commission, bonus or training-cost deductions. Acas explains the elements that may need to be included or deducted when employment ends. ^[1] Identify the contractual term and calculation rather than assuming every expected payment has the same legal basis.

Request a specific correction

Send payroll the disputed item, amount and evidence, and request a breakdown if one is missing. Keep the final payslip, P45 and correspondence. Do not sign a receipt saying all claims are settled merely to obtain an amount already due without understanding its effect.

Deductions addresses the basis for withheld amounts; tribunal deadlines matters if payment remains unresolved. A late promised correction should be tracked, but it should not replace advice about the limitation period.

Establish the final payroll period Record the last day worked, contractual employment end date and usual payday. These can differ where notice is worked, garden leave is used or employment ends partway through a month. Ask payroll which dates the final calculation covers. Acas explains that final pay can differ from normal pay for several reasons and is normally received on the usual payday. [1] A lower payment is therefore a reason to examine the components, not immediate proof that the employer has withheld the same amount as the apparent difference from a full month's salary.

Prepare a schedule of work already performed and unpaid, including authorised overtime or variable earnings. Identify the relevant rate and any payroll cut-off. If commission depends on a later customer event, retain the scheme wording and transaction details. Distinguish an amount already earned from an expectation that a discretionary payment would be made. The contract and facts determine the question to assess; an informal statement that you normally receive a bonus does not explain the conditions applying when employment ends.

Reconcile leave and notice independently Ask for the leave-year dates, accrued entitlement, leave taken and the final holiday calculation. Check the effect of changes in hours and any relevant carry-over rather than relying only on the balance visible after access to the booking system is removed. If the employer deducts for excess leave, request the agreement and calculation relied on. Keep the entitlement and deduction questions separate. An error in the leave balance may produce an incorrect payment even where payroll applies the intended daily rate accurately.

For notice, identify whether it was worked, paid in lieu, waived by agreement or not given. Supply the termination letter and relevant contract terms. If the employer alleges gross misconduct or you left without working notice, obtain advice on the contractual consequences rather than assuming that no further payment can ever be due. Notice pay and an additional settlement sum are different items. A proposed compensation payment should not conceal the amount the employer says is already owed under the contract or statutory requirements.

Challenge each deduction with its supporting basis List training fees, equipment charges, loans or overpayment recovery separately. Ask for the term or other authority and the arithmetic used. Retain evidence of returned equipment and any prior agreement about repayment. A final-pay calculation may contain an accepted liability and a disputed charge at the same time. Explain which amount you contest and why. Avoid signing a broad acknowledgement that everything is correct simply to obtain a payslip or an undisputed payment, particularly where the wording also appears to waive claims.

Compare the final payslip, bank receipt and P45. A P45 records tax-related employment information and does not prove that every contractual sum has been paid. If payroll makes a later correction, ask what amended record will be supplied and how it will be reflected. Keep gross and net figures distinct, including tax treatment of later payments. Where the issue is a tax code rather than an unpaid contractual amount, an HMRC enquiry may be needed alongside payroll correspondence; do not merge these into one unexplained wages claim.

Request a correction with a clear remaining balance Send the employer a concise schedule showing each disputed component, the expected amount, amount received and difference. Attach the relevant contract extract or work record. If a calculation is missing, ask for it specifically and mark your figure as provisional where appropriate. Retain the response and any promised payment date. When part of the balance arrives, allocate it to the relevant item and update the schedule. This prevents an employer's statement that payment has been made from obscuring a remaining disputed component or a different later obligation.

If payment remains unresolved, seek advice on the appropriate route and time limit using the due dates and employment end information. A promised correction or ongoing internal complaint does not automatically preserve a tribunal claim. If the employer is insolvent or no longer trading, explain that fact because a different recovery route may need consideration. Preserve records before workplace access ends wherever lawful and practical. The final file should identify precisely what is still unpaid and why, allowing advice to address the actual entitlement rather than a comparison between two net bank transfers.