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Checking your wages

By law (Employment Rights Act 1996), employers must pay wages on an agreed pay day.

If an employer does not pay on time, it can:

If you have not been paid, or were paid the wrong amount, work out how much you think you're owed.

It can help to take into account:

how much you think you should have been paid after tax and other deductions – find out what your employer can deduct from your wages
when you should have been paid
how much you received, if you have been paid the wrong amount

You can find information about your pay in your:

payslip – this shows what's included and deducted each time you're paid
employment contract – your written statement must say how much you'll be paid, and when you'll be paid

It can also help to check:

how your employer pays you – for example, by bank transfer or cash
the period of time your pay covers, and how many hours you worked during that time
if you need to follow any processes to get paid – for example if you need to get your timesheets or overtime approved
if your employer has a deadline for submitting timesheets or overtime, and what happens if you miss the deadline
your hourly rate if you're paid by the hour, and if the rate varies – for example, if you get a different rate for overtime or night work
if the contract says your employer can withhold pay, and the situations this applies to
if anyone else you work with has had a similar issue with their pay, and the steps they've taken

Your final pay when you leave a job will often be different from your usual pay.

If you have not received your payslip or written statement, or need help getting information, you can: