Legal Question in Employment Law in Washington

reversing a pay raise, overpayment?
Last pay period I was pleasantly surprised that I had been given a raise, of 6$ per hour! I was also given retroactive ''bonus'' reflective of this raise back to Oct 2007 (begining of our fiscal year). This raise was not expected, so I had my clinic manager contact HR/payroll. They confirmed the pay raise had been done after salary review showed our wages were below that of the community. 3 other providors at our clinic also got the same raise/bonus. We found an email to each of us (dated 2/29/08) explaining why we were given this raise and retroactive compensation.
So, very happily, I used the 2800$ bonus (actually 2000$ after taxes/retirement/etc) to pay off a credit card.
Well, today (March 20) they tell me they made a ''grave mistake'' and that there is no raise, and by the way, I have to pay them back 2100$ of the 2800$ bonus (I could keep 25%, 700$, as an apology). They are going to garnish my wages over the next 2 months to recoup the 2100$. Can they demand the money back? They paid me, we verified with payroll, and the money is spent!! How can they change their mind? I guess I can live with them lowering my wage, but I am quite upset that I now owe them 2100$.

Asked on 3/21/08, 1:33 am

Merry Kogut Key Peninsula Law

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Re: reversing a pay raise, overpayment?

Since you also wrote to my business email address, I responded to you privately from that email address.

Merry

Answered on 3/21/08, 4:41 pm

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