salary advances

[carnkie64]

I work for the NHS and have been told that due to an administrative error staff will not be getting paid unsocial hours (enhancements) this month but if an advance is required they are prepared to pay up to £200 by cheque.Considering these enhancements can amount to £300+ and many staff members are reliant on this money (bearing in mind this is for our pay at Christmas),does anyone know if we are legally obliged to be paid the full amount we are owed or this an acceptable offer.Also our pay is paid a week early for Christmas which then means we have to wait 6 weeks for our next pay day.Also are we within our rights to demand that we are not paid the amount by cheque instead either cash or bank transfer.
Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated as there are approx 60 nurses affected by this.Many thanks!!!

[buildersmate]

There no specific legislation under employment law to cover, but you have a contractual right to be paid in full when the contract say you will be.
A more reasonable approach from the employer, given it's got some problems of its own making, would be to pay each of you the average of, say, the last 3 months by cheque in unsocial hours payments.

[factor-fiction]

I sympathise with your first issue of nonpayment of the allowance.
But I'm not sure how being paid early at Christmas causes a problem, but i also can't see why the gap would then be 6 weeks. Would normal pay date be end of the month and will your January pay be at the end of the month at the usual time?

[carnkie64]

thanks for your answers...unfortunately the salary dept is not willing to negotiate on this matter but our unions are having a go at sorting it...dont hold out much hope cus the union is rubbish..it will remain un-named!!!
in reply to factor30....getting paid a week early isnt a problem usually just that somewhere along the line someone has got the deadlines wrong...normal pay date is 27 of the month so as we paid a week early and jan is a 5 week month ...thhis makes it 6 weeks to jan pay day
will keep you informed if there is any joy...otherwise might have to go out and commit murder!!!!LOL

[factor-fiction]

If you are paid on 27th of each month you normally get paid once every 30 or 31 days. I assume your Jan paydate will be 27 Jan. If you are getting paid a week early at Chrstmasin December then you will have to wait a month plus a week to the 27 Dec. If you put aside a week's money from your 5 week pay then there isn't an issue is there?
Maybe the union should negotiate not to get paid early next year.