Can we just fix it?

I had to deal with a pissed off, bitchy "co-worker" yesterday. It's someone from my side job. She is kind of/sort of the office manager at this office, but I rarely have to deal with her the past couple of years, as one of the owner's wives works there and she is the one I mostly deal with on a day to day basis. (I love her btw. We have the funnest email exchanges).

Anyhow, the last week of December this lady emails me that her daughter worked a few hours one day and sent me her hours. The final December payroll had already been processed, so I let her know that it would have to be paid with the Jan 15th payroll. She had also asked that the check be mailed to the office, not the home address.

Fast forward 2 weeks, when I am processing payroll. Shoot - I was just happy that I remembered to put in the 6 hours of time for this girl! (she only works there a few times a year to do filing, etc) But, I did not pass on the message to our payroll processing company to mail the check to the office. Partially because it slipped my mind, but mostly because we had already had this issue of "live" checks (those who do not do direct deposit) being mailed direct to employees homes and being late or lost. Last July we gave instructions to the payroll company that all live checks were to be mailed to the office and mailed UPS, so that they arrived on payday. There hasn't been any issues with it since, so I really didn't even think about adding the reminder. I just assumed that's where the check would be mailed, as this was supposed to be the procedure for the last 6 months.

Well......apparently not. The lady on the payroll company end mailed the check to the home address. Add in that Monday was a post office holiday and then come to find out the address on file for this daughter was never updated by Mom when they moved to a new place. Nice. Mom sent an email (cc'ing me) to the payroll processor saying she needed to cancel the check, and send a new one to the office overnight. It was a rude email. Payroll lady suggested that it would be much quicker if they wrote her a company check for the net amount. She'd have the check right then and no next day air charges. I replied back, that yes, that is the best way to handle it.  That is what we do at my (full time) company whenever something arises and bookkeeping wise, it all gets worked out with the payroll company (we use same company at my full time job). I cc'd the owner's wife in the email, as she is the one there who signs the checks, so she would know she needs to cut a check.

Office lady/mom emails back another rude email that just forget it - they would just wait for the check, if it ever comes.

I emailed back that I was sorry for the mess. I should have reminded payroll processor to mail to office, but I didn't, as I thought it wasn't an issue any longer. I also said, that that owner's wife could quickly write out a check for the $80 and the issue is fixed and done with.

This is the email I got back:You can't ever assume that people are going to remember...I've learned that the hard way.   I'll give it a few days to see if it shows up. But, look at all the time and hassle for one tiny paycheck.   Amazing.

 
I emailed back owner's wife in a private email "well then........".  She emailed me back and said they are all tired of this lady and her attitude and most likely she is retiring in summer, from the sounds of it, and they can't wait. I said the new check could have been written and signed in 2 minutes and the issue resolved, but apparently it was more important for her to be all mad about it, rather than quickly resolve it.

I am so glad I don't have to deal with her on a regular basis anymore. I never had much problem with her before, the first few years of this job, but I could tell she was a snippy type of person and probably not the easiest person to work with.  Do I feel terrible and beating myself up over it? Nope. It was a mistake, but also one that could have been quickly and easily fixed.

We also had a payroll issue yesterday at my regular job. One of our employees had $850 deducted from his check on Friday! We quickly contacted payroll company and asked why? They goofed - system glitch when the new year rolled over - a payroll advance he had taken last summer (and paid back of $850) somehow rolled over into the New Year and got put back on. Did we sent snippy rude emails? Nope. We just wrote him a company check for $850, gave him time off to run to his bank to deposit and that was that. Easy fix. No reason to make things worse.