Botched Payroll Makes For a Bad Day!

You know you’re having a bad day when a mistake you made gets covered by the local newspaper. Not exactly the kind of publicity you want! As this article reports, the town of Windham, Connecticut, recently found themselves in the middle of a payroll mess that resulted from problems with a new accounting system.

Apparently when the town changed accounting software, multiple problems occurred which affected firefighters, police, and other town employees. Some paychecks which were supposed to be directly deposited were printed as checks instead. This meant that employees had to unexpectedly pick up their checks and get them deposited. Some employees were out of town and unable to do this. The problem persisted for two straight pay periods, and employees had to deal with other mistakes in their checks as well. The article notes that one firefighter was paid only $1.59 for a whole pay period!

Understandably, this situation left town employees upset with a capital U! It was more than a mere inconvenience to some employees. Not having money in their accounts at the expected time created issues with their own scheduled payments. Problems like these multiply like ripples on a pond. The town has had to deal with multiple grievances filed by employee unions.

Additionally, when mishaps like this occur, it also shakes the sense of security that workers have in their employer. It is a basic assumption that employees will be paid in full, on time, and in the manner that has been agreed upon. When that doesn’t happen, it makes workers worry about the next time a mistake will be made.

Of course, problems like this can be fixed. The town of Windham heard what employees had to say at a public meeting and worked to make individual situations right. But we can all agree that it is better to just avoid the mistakes in the first place when that is possible.

For some small business owners, just knowing that these kinds of problems can happen is enough to drive them to outsource their payroll operation. A good payroll company like The Payroll Department will oversee all payroll functions and ensure that they are running smoothly. Contact Teresa Ray at 317-852-2568 or visit us at www.payrolldepartment.biz.

We can’t guarantee that you’ll never have another bad day, but we can help you avoid one caused by payroll issues!

-Jessica of The Payroll Department Blog Team