How long dues employer have to pay after mistakes in payroll are found?
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How long dues employer have to pay after mistakes in payroll are found?
We have insurance deducted weekly. We learned today that insurance was cancelled 3 months ago due to non-payment by our employer. What are our rights?
Asked on December 1, 2016 under Employment Labor Law, Kansas
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
If your employer took the money out from your check, then they are obligated to provide the insurance you were paying for. If you incurred any medical costs during that time, your employer will have to pay for them itself (e.g. reimburse you); if deductions are still being taken out, they have to reinstate coverage (and again, if they don't, they make themselves liable for any medical costs you incur in the interim); or if you have not had claims, they may have to reimburse you the money taken out of the paychecks, since you did not receive what you were paying for. They can't simply take your money without providing the insurance: doing so is a breach of contract (the agreement by which you work and pay premiums through deductions in exchange for, among other things, insurance coverage), and may also be fraud (lying about what you would get in exchange for working and the deductions) and "conversion" (a form of theft, in which someone misappropriates you money--the deductions--entrusted to it).
A good first step is to contact your state department of labor and also the state department of insurance to report what is going on: one or both agencies may be able to help. Alteranately, you could file a legal action against your employer, for medical cost reimbursement, for reimbursement of your premiums, and/or for a court order that they reinstate insurance.
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