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The Workplace

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  • Ok, it should be accurate. But moaning about trivial things quickly leads to a race to the bottom ending in "work to rule", complaining about what others are getting vs oneself and a whole mess of other childish behaviors. Hourly work is often held to strict clock in and out, because otherwise it immediately degenerates. Non-hourly, it is often overlooked, especially if they sometimes work 'late', take a phone call on off days and so on. The solution is for everyone to grow up, but good luck!
    – Happy Idiot
    Commented Jul 4 at 14:16
  • 2
    @HappyIdiot, the principle of a payroll that is accurate and fully under control is not a trivial thing - it is probably the most important thing in the employment relationship. The quantum of error on the particular occasion may be as trivial as a penny, but an employer making unilateral and undeclared decisions that error in the payroll is tolerable at any level, and at what level, is I'm afraid a deeply serious error of principle. (1/2)
    – Steve
    Commented Jul 4 at 16:10
  • 2
    It is an error just as it would be if the bank clerk did so when dispensing your wages, or the shop clerk did so when dispensing your change. You might not often notice a penny missing from a non-round withdrawal or from change, but if you do, the most inflammatory response possible is for the person who has made the error to say "oh it'll do", rather than "my mistake, here is the balance". (2/2)
    – Steve
    Commented Jul 4 at 16:10
  • So round up when paying people and round down when charging them. If your business is sensitive to pennies one way or another, it's your last month of business anyway.
    – Happy Idiot
    Commented Jul 4 at 21:27
  • 1
    @HappyIdiot, the problem is that simplifications almost always lead to businesses paying even more money than just hiring the staff to manage the complexity. Like you mentioned accruing 9.375 hours a month. The boss could make it easy on himself and allow 10 hours to be accrued per month, and round up part months of employment, but it'll cost more than just having someone to twiddle the small numbers.
    – Steve
    Commented Jul 5 at 18:40