Whether you receive paper checks or direct deposits into your bank account, it’s essential to identify and resolve errors in your paycheck as soon as possible. Unresolved errors can lead to lost income that will only increase the longer you allow the situation to continue.
Read on to learn more about your paycheck, how to know if it’s wrong, and what to do if you notice a mistake.
6 Ways to Know Your Paycheck Is Wrong
There are many simple ways to determine if your paycheck contains errors.
Track Your Expected Pay
The easiest way to know if your Paycom app download is wrong is to track your own pay and then compare the number you expect to the actual number on your paycheck.
If you are paid hourly, keep track of your hours on your phone, in a notebook, or wherever you want. Total up the number of hours at the end of each pay period and make sure it matches the number of hours on your paycheck. Be sure to factor in overtime hours and pay if you earn it.
If you collect tips, it’s a good idea to keep a record of the tips you receive. This will help you gain a clearer picture of your financial situation and better predict how much you can expect to earn in tips in the future.
Compare Paychecks to Each Other
Compare your paychecks to one another. Your checks should look pretty similar for pay periods where you worked comparable amounts. The exception here would be if your employer has changed your pay rate or had another conversation about adjusting your wages.
Especially if you are paid by salary, comparing your paychecks can be a great way to catch errors. If you are set to receive the same pay each week, the numbers should not change from paycheck to paycheck.
Do the Math Yourself
If you track your hours and know your wages, you can do the math yourself to understand what your paycheck should look like. If the number on your paycheck does not match your own math, dig a little deeper to see what is going on.
When calculating what you expect for each paycheck, be sure to factor in your regular deductions. These deductions are money taken out of your account for taxes, health insurance, or similar items. You can find them by examining your earlier paychecks or asking someone at your organization who works in payroll.
Check Your Paystubs – Even If You Have Direct Deposit
One of the most common mistakes people make is setting up direct deposits and never reviewing their paychecks. If you want to catch errors in your paycheck, you’ll need to look at the actual paystub each time you are paid.
Review each paystub to ensure the amount you are being paid and your hours of work match what you were expecting. You can also check to make sure the amount on the stub is correctly deposited in your account. If anything looks off, bring up the issue with whoever runs payroll for your organization.
You can request paper paystubs from your employer even if you have direct deposit. Many organizations also have a “payroll portal” where you can access an electronic PDF of the paystub
Know Your Rights
Know the minimum wage requirements in your area to ensure that you are fairly compensated for your work. There are different minimum wage requirements depending on where you live and how you are paid, so it’s essential to do the research so you can identify errors in your paycheck.
It might seem unlikely that errors in your paycheck are related to your employer violating your rights. Still, it’s more common than you might think – especially in jobs where tips are part of employee compensation. The study featured in this article found that 68% of low-wage workers they sampled had at least one violation in their last paycheck. On average, the violations cost the workers $2,634 annually.
Ask Questions if You Have Them
If you have questions about anything related to your paycheck, ask whoever runs payroll in your organization. Even if it makes you uncomfortable to ask, you must do so anyway.
Sometimes, you know something looks wrong, but you can’t pinpoint the error. Whoever runs your payroll might be able to spot a mistake that you were unable to put your finger on. Even better, they are the right person to help you solve the problem.
What Should I Do If My Paycheck is Wrong?
If you notice errors in your paycheck, bring them up to your employer or payroll department immediately. The longer you wait to detect and report an error, the less likely they will quickly resolve the problem. It also helps if you bring your own records showing the corrected information that should be on your paycheck.
It’s always best to notify your employer of errors in your paycheck in writing. This is especially true if you suspect it will be challenging to convince them to resolve the error promptly. Suppose you notice that your paychecks consistently contain legal violations, such as being paid under minimum wage. In that case, you might want to report your employer to the department of labor or contact an attorney to review your options.
Keep in mind that all errors will be fixed in your paycheck once they are discovered. This means that if you were overpaid, you would need to return the money that you did not earn.
Does My Employer Need to Provide a Paystub?
Most, but not all, states require your employer to issue you a pay stub with your paycheck. If you are in a state that does not require your employer to provide this, that doesn’t mean you cannot request it yourself. At the very least, you can ask to see their records related to your paycheck.
Wrapping Up
It is essential to review your paycheck to identify potential errors. Once you find these errors, bring them up to your employer right away to resolve them. If your paychecks are consistently incorrect or your employer is unwilling to fix them, consider filing a complaint with the department of labor or discussing your options with an attorney.
