What is a negative recovery advance in salary terms?

I would think it's termed that way so that the tax and national insurance is corrected too. When I finished up at a job I had taken more holiday than I accured and so had to pay it back but I got the tax back that I paid on it.

J

Do you think it means they will automatically take it or do I have to do something??

not a clue, contact your payroll dept on monday, they should be able to explain it.

They can't deduct any monies without your prior wriiten/signed consent.

That's quite often covered in the contract though isn't it? I know ours has a clause about payment errors (although I'm guessing they've learnt from bitter experience how inept our payroll department can be!!)

I'm no expert, but it sounds to me (just from the term that they've used) that they've written it off as an 'advance' on our next pay, so they won't ask you to pay it back but will deduct that amount from your next pay.

Still best to check with your payroll though.

It's horrendously tortured English, but I'd agree with the consensus that they're treating it as an advance.