Volusia County EMTs told to repay thousands after payroll error: 'What am I gonna do?'

Oops.
1. Should have noticed the pay bump.
2. Pay back at $1.00 per check. Can’t dictate the rate and cause financial harm, county. You screwed up, not the employee.

The county did screw up, but so did the employees for not checking their pay.

I always check my pay, catch mistakes early, they get fixed early

Somewhere there is a federal law that states that pay errors have to be paid over 78 pay periods (or 156 if you are paid weekly), but if there is a state law that may be different.

They need to check with their State Labor Board to see if there is anything that can be done to fix it.

did no one miss the even more alarming part of the article?

On Tuesday, the Union President for Local 77 resigned, saying the Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer were doing the same. The interim president told Edinger that was unrelated to the payroll issue.

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Am I the only one who thinks something is seriously wrong with that system when the entire union board resigns on the same day?

Personally, I feel awful for the staff. I never check my paycheck, and with direct deposit, I don't even look at it. As long as money makes it into my account, I'm happy. Money goes in, bills get paid to the best of my ability; if I get more $$$ from OT, more goes out to pay the bills.

also, as per https://www.news-journalonline.com/...t-with-debts-after-payroll-error/88284236007/

One employee received a letter from the county that said he or she owed $62,076.46. The letter, dated Jan. 12, said that an audit found that pay codes were incorrectly applied, dating back to September 2023.

"When you worked on a BLS (Basic Life Support) unit during the hours where the night differential applied, you received double your hourly rate of pay," the letter says.

The letter says that the county approved a repayment plan for the employee. The county plans to take $238.76 from the employee's bi-weekly pay for 260 pay periods, starting on Feb. 13.

If the employee leaves before he or she pays the full amount back, the county will take whatever's left from the final paycheck.

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Personally, if I was one of the affected employees, esp the one who owed 62k, I'd be looking for a new job.

The county says employees are responsible for making sure they're getting paid right, including reporting errors right away and reimbursing the county for overpayments. That is noted on each pay statement, according to the letter.

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While this is a true statement, the county's payroll department is the accountable party, and I am hoping the person in the payroll department who committed the error, as well as their supervisor who was accountable for checking their work, were both terminated for this event. Placing the blame on the employees, instead of those who manage the payroll system, is a sign of lack of accountability at the county leadership level.

But…but…but… union always.

Idiots.

johnrsemt said:

Somewhere there is a federal law that states that pay errors have to be paid over 78 pay periods (or 156 if you are paid weekly), but if there is a state law that may be different.

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My Google-Fu says according to federal law, the repayment plan can not drop the employee below minimum wage but doesn't give a specific time frame. The employer may off a lump sump repayment option but can't force the employee to accept it .

Not to mention both the company and employees now have to file tax corrections with the IRS.