overpaid employee termination: Employee gets overpaid, then fired for not reporting it – here’s why the internet is furious

The employee returned home late Sunday and worked Monday. At 11 a.m. Monday morning, payroll sent them an email asking if they noticed a payment error on Friday. The employee called payroll and explained that they did not have internet during the trip and had not checked their accounts yet.

Salary overpayment found

They later checked their bank accounts and found the salary was about twice what it should have been. The employee asked payroll what they wanted them to do and offered to let the company deduct or refund the extra pay from their next paycheck.
Payroll said they would be back. Later that morning, the employee was called to a meeting with his boss. They were told that they would be fired immediately for dishonesty. The employee explained that he was unaware of the overpayment until the pay stub arrived and was willing to correct it. The boss claimed the employee was trying to hide the mistake, saying it was about “honesty” and not money.

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The internet reacts with anger

The employee explained his situation: They were in the middle of the ocean with no internet, came back Sunday morning, barely flew, took a break, picked up their dog and didn’t get home until 6pm, then unpacked and went to sleep. They said they were paid a fixed salary, so their salaries were the same every Friday. They also said that they worked at the company for a year without any problems.
The boss said that a responsible person should check the bank account immediately. The boss also said that the employee was trying to steal money. The employee was shocked and did not believe it. They tried to explain again, but the boss didn’t listen. The employee was told to leave the company and collect his belongings from the desk.
The employee asked online if they were wrong to think this was unreasonable. They said it was the company’s fault, not theirs, and they were willing to fix it by any means necessary. The story quickly outraged people online, as many felt it wasn’t fair to fire someone for a mistake they didn’t cause.

FAQ

Q1. Why was the overpaid worker dismissed?

The company said it was dishonest for the employee to not immediately notice and report the overpayment.

Q2. Was the overpayment the employee’s fault?

No, the extra money was sent by mistake through payroll, not by the employee.