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Work Problem. Help!

Protostar, 29 July, 2009 at 09:47 Posted on Off Topic Posts 0 10

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Hi All,

This is a little complicated but will try to be as quick and concise as possible. Any thoughts would be much appreciated at this is really worrying me now.

My colleague and I both work for a University on a project. We are hired on an hourly paid basis for this work. We both work under a project manager who agreed a 50/50 split between us of 500 hours - 250 hours each. As my colleague was short on work last summer, I agreed he could take my hours, making it 200 hours for me and 300 for him. My colleague submitted claims monthly and I agreed with my colleague (who was in charge of accounting for hours and the budget) that I would make a large claim for the work towards the end of the project.

When I submitted my claim to the project manager, after agreeing it with my colleague, it turned out that there wasn't the £4k available for my claim - only £1.7k. My colleague had claimed nearly 380 hours and had made the mistake of assuming that a travel budget that wasn't being used could be used for extra hours. It also turns out that my colleague wasn't factoring in NI contributions and a small payrise that had occured during the year as the project manager had told him that they would swallow the costs of that.

To me, this seems like a *** up on my project managers side and a monumental *** up on the part of my colleague. My project manager has told me to claim what's left and that I have to get the other money I'm entitled to directly from my colleague as he has overclaimed. I REALLY don't feel comfortable with this idea and, besides, I know given his financial situation, I have very little hope of getting it back - certainly any time soon. I'd definitely feel better about claiming it off my employers and them retrieving the money from him, but nobody wants to discuss it and my emails are being ignored. My project manager is now saying that I should have claimed monthly but he did agree to me doing it as a lump sum.

Any thoughts. I REALLY can't afford to loose >£2k when I was expecting it and have had my hours massively cut and a baby on the way.

Thanks. [:'(]

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10 replies

Latest activity by Protostar, 29 July, 2009 at 17:27

Beginner July 2008
claires · 29 July, 2009 at 10:09
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Do you have a contract that shows you should be paid for the 200 hours?
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Protostar · 29 July, 2009 at 10:15
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This is going to sound bad, but, no, not sure I do. We have an email, though. Hourly paid lecturer contracts rarely state how many hours. That's the beauty of the contracts from the point of view of the Uni. They can just pull you at any time.
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Headless Lois · 29 July, 2009 at 10:17
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What do you have in some form of writing, eg email or whatever? original hourly split, agreement to transfer 50 of your hours, agreement you could invoice yours at the end?

L
xx
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Protostar · 29 July, 2009 at 10:23
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Hi Lois,

I have emails re: the transfer of the 50 hours and my manager confirming the original 500 hours to be split between the two of us. THe agreement I could invoice at the end was verbal. I don't think I have anything on that in writing.
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Knownowt · 29 July, 2009 at 11:07
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Do you have it in writing (email is fine) that the split was to be 50:50?
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Headless Lois · 29 July, 2009 at 11:14
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Do the emails you have say specifically that you had to invoice as you went along?

If not, I would go back to the manager, with copies of everything, and tell them to sort it out. I would set out exactly what was agreed, include a copy of your invoice, and ask for payment within x days or you will start proceedings in the small claims court.

L
xx
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Protostar · 29 July, 2009 at 11:16
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Hi Knownowt,

Yes I have an email saying that we were intended to split the 500 hours 50/50 from my project manager, including one recently dated in light of recent events.
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Protostar · 29 July, 2009 at 11:26
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Thanks Lois. I may have to try that approach with them.
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Beginner October 2008
tumbleweed · 29 July, 2009 at 16:37
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Unless you and your colleague are linked in some way, ie, in a partnership or something, then you are owed for what you've worked. What they have paid your colleague by mistake or mismanagement is nothing to do with you. If they don't have the money in the budget they're basically the same as any other employer who is short of cash - they still owe it to you.
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Headless Lois · 29 July, 2009 at 16:39
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Quite. Sounds like your manager is trying to cover their own arse

L
xx
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Protostar · 29 July, 2009 at 17:27
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Thanks both. That's kind of what I thought. Why does this happen to me!?!?! ? I've just settled a legal issue with another Uni I work for who wouldn't pay me my redundancy money but did my male colleague (same colleague). Just agreed on a compromise agreement.

I'm beginning to think I am jinxed!
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