employer took money after over payment

[bio hazard]

Hello, could someone please help.
I had to go into hospital on the 13 of November for an operation on my spine, and have been signed off since. My employer paid my wages on Nov 28 in full and at the time i had no reason to think i had been over paid and thought for once they were being fair as this was a genuine reason for absence. When it came to Dec pay day i checked my bank and had no wages paid at all. After contacting my accounts dept i was told that they had over paid me for Nov as i hadn't been at work from the 13th and they had re calculated my Dec wages which would only have been SSP and my Christmas bonus and took the lot off me to pay themselves back, this has left me without any money for five weeks as wages were paid a week sooner because it was Christmas. Can they do this ? and without even contacting me to discuss the matter. This has totally ruined Chrismas and the start of a new year and i am now in debt with the bank.
Any advice would be great, Thanks for your time. Mark

[Ell-enn]

Hi there, and welcome to CAG.

Your employer should have written to you explaining what they were doing. It's not that their calculation of your wages was wrong, but that they did it without advising you first. What does it say in your terms & conditions of employment about sick pay?

Kind Regards

Ell-enn
(PS I will ask for your question to be moved to the Employment section)

[zootscoot]

Thread moved to employment forum