Workers asked to return bonuses after 16 years

[The Straight Story]

Workers asked to return bonuses after 16 years


LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – About 180 county employees in suburban Atlanta are being asked to return thousands of dollars the county says they were overpaid 16 years ago.

Gwinnett County's chief financial officer, Aaron Bovos, calls it a project to "clean up receivables and to eliminate outstanding obligations."

The county is seeking to collect more than $39,000 from employees who received bonuses in their paychecks in 1994. Authorities blamed the overpayments on a payroll anomaly when the county adjusted employees' payroll cycles.

Employees can apply the money to vacation leave or make a cash payment.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100519/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_paycheck_bonus_return

[hlthe2b]

1. After 16 years? You've got to be kidding me.

[bluestateguy]

2. Asked or told?

Because if I was asked (after 16 years) I would just politely say no.

[hobbit709]

5. and if I was told, my response would be "I'm talking to my attorney"

[ejpoeta]

3. 1994!! there should be a statute of limitations on collecting this crap.

if they screwed up, then its their own fault they didn't rectify it back then. how long do you have to sue someone in this country for somethng? i can't imagine this length of time would be allowable in civil procedings.

[Lance_Boyle]

10. 3 years in NC. Probably similar in GA.

These workers should politely decline the request and tell Mr. Bovos to find a court to take his case. That would likely be the last they'd hear about it.

[Lance_Boyle]

4. They're doing this to their employes over $39K? For jeebus sake that's cold!

I suppose it's nice of them not to charge interest. Bastards.

[NeedleCast]

6. Funny, all the check stubs I recieve from my employer say one thing very clearly

NON-NEGOTIABLE.

[edbermac]

7. "The check's in the mail."

:+

[xchrom]

8. The county should suck it. So to speak. Nt

[nykym]

9. I would imagine

that there is some sort of statue of limitations on this especially for something 16 years old!

[LiberalAndProud]

11. The real story. Yahoo should be ashamed for the spin.

http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/home/headlines/94218874.html

County asks for ’94 overpayment back
Originally account was settled with employees at retirement
Gwinnett County is asking employees to pay up to settle an overpayment from 1994. In 1994, the government shifted its pay period, causing one period to be shortened to 12 days, according to county spokesman Joe Sorenson. Officials decided to pay employees for a full 14 days, and settle the account when the staffers retired.


Sure sounds outrageous though.

[gmoney]

13. Two days' pay from 16 years ago?

That's nuts. It's almost like retro-actively denying diplomas to students who graduated in '94 because they'd been given two extra snow days that they didn't make up by watching videos in the gymnasium for two days in June.

But I suspect we'll see more of these kinds of stories. Companies and government agencies seem to be kicking their auditing into high gear to find any little outstanding debts and close all the gaps.

[petronius]

14. That's a whole different story, isn't it?

I think it's a bit unfair if the county is demanding that the employees settle now rather than waiting until retirement (they should have an option), but it's not nearly the travesty the first article made it out to be...

[ProgressiveProfessor]

17. Spin is everywhere...gotta get those views

[Nuclear Unicorn]

12. Oh sure.

I've got that on me right here.

:sarcasm:

[madinmaryland]

15. It works out to $220/employee if you actually READ the artical.

The employees had already agreed to refund the difference in pay years earlier, through their retirement plan. Should be no problem.

Crappy writing of the artical though.

[indepat]

16. Geez, if we could only reach back 16 years on the bonuses of Wall Street banksters and

fraudsters. :P

[dixiegrrrrl]

18. Who refunds the taxes the employees paid on that money?