This morning, an all-staff email (including PGR students) has been sent out, providing an update on April salary payments.
Ian Dunn, Chief Operating Officer, said:
“In the last few minutes we’ve had confirmation that salary payments for all of our staff, including casual workers, have now been credited to bank accounts. Depending on your bank, this may take a couple of hours to show on your account.
I know this has been a worrying situation for many of you, and I apologise again for the concern it has caused. I know it was frustrating yesterday not to have clarity earlier, but it took us and our bank several hours to work out how we could make emergency payments, given that it normally takes two full working days to submit the monthly payroll to the bank.
My priority now is to ensure any colleagues who have incurred unexpected bank charges are reimbursed as quickly as possible, and to understand fully what went wrong and how we can prevent it ever happening again.
Please find below some FAQs. If you have any further questions, please email [email protected]
Once again, my sincere apologies for the worry and inconvenience this has caused you.”
A list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) has also been created and shared (as below):
Frequently Asked Questions – April 2018 salary payments
- New FAQ (02.05.18): For my residency or citizenship application, the Home Office requires me to show ‘regular income/payment.’ A late payment date may be an issue – are you able to help me?
Yes. If the change in pay date could affect your application for permanent residency or citizenship, the University will provide an employer’s letter to support your application. Please email [email protected] to request this.
- What went wrong with the April payroll?
We are working to investigate exactly what went wrong with a process we complete successfully month after month. We will continue this urgent investigation until we fully understand why this happened and what can be done to ensure this will never happen again.
- Why did it take so long to provide an update on Monday afternoon?
To give a sense of the scale and complexity of the situation, from first thing on Monday our Finance team was talking constantly with our bank about emergency procedures that would allow us to pay all of our staff using a same-day payment system. We explored different ways of doing this, two of which were running in parallel by late afternoon to maximise the salary payments that could be processed. To put this in context, under usual circumstances it takes days of processing to prepare each month’s payroll, and the University and our bank had to try to complete this in a matter of hours.
This was a highly complex, constantly developing situation. We communicated at 8.50am, 11.45am and 4.15pm. Until late afternoon, we did not feel there was enough certainty about the situation that we could fairly or reasonably provide an accurate update to our staff. But we recognise the lack of communication inevitably contributed to the worry, and for this we are extremely sorry.
- What should we do if we have experienced any financial loss as a result of a late salary payment?
The first step is to talk to your bank about any missed payments, overdrafts fees or other financial concerns that have been caused by a late salary payment. You can assure your bank that the University has confirmed that your account will be credited this morning (Tuesday 1 May).
The second step is to email [email protected] to make us aware if you have experienced any unexpected bank charges as a result of a late salary payment.
The University will reimburse colleagues for any unexpected bank charges as a direct result of any late salary payment.
We will provide clear guidance on the process for submitting these claims to the University.
- How soon will you publish the guidance on reimbursements? And what are the timelines for this?
The University will reimburse staff who have experienced unexpected bank charges as a result of a late salary payment. This is a high priority and we are developing the process and guidance as a matter of urgency. If you have specific concerns or questions please email [email protected]
- I still have not been paid. Could I have been missed off?
There are a very small number of account types which do not accept CHAPS payments (the emergency, same-day payment system used on Monday). Please phone payroll on ext: 23160 urgently if your salary payment is not showing by 12 noon today, Tuesday 1 May.
- When will casual workers be paid?
Casual workers have all been paid.
- What will you do if there is an impact on my credit rating as a result of a late salary payment?
If you are worried about your credit rating please consult your bank/mortgage lender in the first instance. We recognise the importance of this to our staff and we are discussing options with our bank. If you feel you may be affected in this way, please email [email protected]
- I’m already living in financial hardship, is there any additional support?
Please contact payroll ([email protected]) if the salary payment issues will have a severe impact on your personal circumstances or finances.
For other types of support, please consider using our Employee Assistance Programme.
