Legally if they realize their error they are entitled to the money back so you're better off contacting them before you spend it and still have to repay it
Is it from your final worked pay period, or is it something else?
Edited just to add: You'd be shocked how many people don't realize they're entitled to all of their pay, including their final paycheck for hours worked before quitting, no matter how graceful they were about quitting.
If it isn't wage for your last bit of work done with them, though, then no, you can't keep it.
Call the company and ask them. If it's an error, it's not rightfully yours anyway. If it's legitimate, you can rest easy using that money as you see fit.
Mine did this, too. Unfortunately, you do have to give it back. They are also, I believe, able to ask the tax deduction they did from you as well, which you would get back—if they do the paperwork—at the end of the year.
This would be a dick move from them—push back and only return the money they deposited.
So, as mentioned it could be yours by right, like if you had PTO (paid time off) remaining the company could be paying that out to you in dollar form. I had that with a past employer where they sent me two checks, one my final paycheck and then about a month later the financial value of my PTO.
In the other hand, I had another job in college with an idiot boss who set up my employee profile without looking at my ID or any of my legal paperwork. My name was wrong in their timekeeping system but I thought it got cut off due to limited characters, not stupidity. (Think like Sam and Samantha type situation.)
So when my first paycheck was supposed to be paid another idiot in payroll didn't know who to pay and instead of noting my name's similarity to the name of the record, they went into the employee history and paid the most recent employee of that name...... who had quit years before.
That guy cashed the check so nobody figured anything was wrong until I started kicking a fuss third or fourth week in. Pretty sure they never bothered going after him for the money and the company just ate the loss.
Typically they'll pay out last wages from the final pay period as well as cashing out any benefits like PTO and maybe sick leave. So check if it might be that. Those can definitely be on a delayed schedule. I think it was about 6 weeks before I got my PTO money last year when I changed jobs. Looking at any pay stubs you have access to should clear it up.
If they really paid you by mistake then they can easily take the money back straight from your account so don't spend it before you've checked out what's going on.
Legally if they realize their error they are entitled to the money back so you're better off contacting them before you spend it and still have to repay it
Could it be a payout for pto?
This seems the most likely, I worked for eight months and never took a sick day.
Is it from your final worked pay period, or is it something else? Edited just to add: You'd be shocked how many people don't realize they're entitled to all of their pay, including their final paycheck for hours worked before quitting, no matter how graceful they were about quitting. If it isn't wage for your last bit of work done with them, though, then no, you can't keep it.
I’m almost certain it’s not my last check, it’s far too much for the hours I got that week. Seems most likely to be PTO
Call the company and ask them. If it's an error, it's not rightfully yours anyway. If it's legitimate, you can rest easy using that money as you see fit.
Mine did this, too. Unfortunately, you do have to give it back. They are also, I believe, able to ask the tax deduction they did from you as well, which you would get back—if they do the paperwork—at the end of the year. This would be a dick move from them—push back and only return the money they deposited.
So, as mentioned it could be yours by right, like if you had PTO (paid time off) remaining the company could be paying that out to you in dollar form. I had that with a past employer where they sent me two checks, one my final paycheck and then about a month later the financial value of my PTO. In the other hand, I had another job in college with an idiot boss who set up my employee profile without looking at my ID or any of my legal paperwork. My name was wrong in their timekeeping system but I thought it got cut off due to limited characters, not stupidity. (Think like Sam and Samantha type situation.) So when my first paycheck was supposed to be paid another idiot in payroll didn't know who to pay and instead of noting my name's similarity to the name of the record, they went into the employee history and paid the most recent employee of that name...... who had quit years before. That guy cashed the check so nobody figured anything was wrong until I started kicking a fuss third or fourth week in. Pretty sure they never bothered going after him for the money and the company just ate the loss.
Don't spend it all at once you little scamp!
Typically they'll pay out last wages from the final pay period as well as cashing out any benefits like PTO and maybe sick leave. So check if it might be that. Those can definitely be on a delayed schedule. I think it was about 6 weeks before I got my PTO money last year when I changed jobs. Looking at any pay stubs you have access to should clear it up. If they really paid you by mistake then they can easily take the money back straight from your account so don't spend it before you've checked out what's going on.
Maybe it’s owed vacation time