Employee in Tokke municipality worked for free on weekends for eight years – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio

For eight years, an employee in Tokke municipality in Telemark has carried out work at weekends without being paid. It was Telemarkavisa that first mentioned the case. The background is that the person has two positions. The person concerned is 82.3 per cent temporary and also has a permanent job with a vacancy rate of 17.7 per cent at weekends. “It has been discovered completely by chance by the administration that the salary payment is missing in 17.7 per cent positions”, it is stated in the case papers of the municipal council. – In the event of an error, only the one position has been entered, and not the weekend position. We don’t know if it happened in the payroll system, or if it was entered manually by mistake, says mayor Jarand Felland to news. Recommend eight years’ arrears The error was discovered in May, and in July the employee received back pay for three years, NOK 324,000. That was because the limitation period is three years, and employees have a duty to check that their own wages are correct. Do you check your pay slip? Never, trusts the employer Tries, but doesn’t understand much of it. the last eight years. – The chairmanship unanimously concluded that the person concerned should be reimbursed the entire sum, says Felland. – Difficult to find out He says that this is a demanding matter, but that the chairmanship believes it is right to pay back the missing salary eight years back in time The mayor pictured in 2021. Photo: Bo Lilledal Andersen / news – Employees have a duty to investigate, but the employer also has a duty to present this in an understandable way. It is not easy to understand the pay slips you are sent. And people like to trust that what comes from the public sector is correct, says the mayor and adds: – That is what we have settled on in our assessment. It can be difficult to find out, so we have thought that this should be something the municipality pays back, even if parts are actually obsolete. The recommendation is therefore that the employee receives NOK 780,000 including employer’s contribution, holiday pay and pension. The money is taken from the municipality’s disposal fund. – Mistakes can happen But the decision is up to the municipal council when the matter is heard on Tuesday. When asked whether the municipality has checked whether the error may apply to several employees, the mayor says that he expects that the managers have reviewed the salary payments after the matter was discovered. – It is also a call to employees to investigate a bit. Because mistakes can happen, even today, emphasizes Felland. Published 14.09.2024, at 11.09 Updated 14.09.2024, at 11.25



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