We underpaid 40 employees. How should we communicate it?
Anonymous HR Professional · 8 Jul 2026 · United Kingdom · Hospitality · 201-500 employees
A configuration error meant overtime was paid at base rate for two months. We can correct it in the next run. I want to get the message right rather than hide behind a payslip adjustment.
Desired outcome
Wording and timing that keeps trust intact.
2 replies
Tell people before the corrected payslip arrives, individually, with the exact amount and the date they will receive it. Offer an off-cycle payment to anyone for whom waiting causes hardship. Silence plus a mysterious adjustment is what destroys trust, not the error itself.
Also publish what changed in the process so it does not read as bad luck. People forgive a mistake with a fix attached.
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