Q&A: Mistake in Wage Payment
Mistake in Wage Payment
Question
Hello Rabbi Michi,
An employee notices that he apparently received wages higher than what he was owed (an hourly salaried employee). He immediately informed the business owner about the matter and what he believes was the source of the mistake. The business owner thanked the employee and said he would look into it.
Is the employee obligated to remind the business owner about it again, or is one formal and detailed notice enough?
I should emphasize that it is not certain that this is in fact a mistake, since this is not a fixed monthly salary and it has different components.
All the best, and thank you very much for your work,
Answer
If it is clear to you that this is a mistake, you should remind him so as not to steal. If there is doubt whether there was a mistake, there is room to leave the matter as it is. Still, it does no harm to remind him—either way: if in fact no mistake was made, he will check and confirm that you may keep the money. And if a mistake was made and he forgot, it is better to remind him so that you do not transgress through theft.
Thank you