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Asos Barnsley warehouse workers hit by 'payroll chaos'

BBC Asos warehouse BarnsleyBBC
The Asos warehouse is located at the Houghton Main Colliery Roundabout and employs about 4,000 people

More than 100 Asos workers have been hit by "payroll chaos", with some facing a shortfall in wages by hundreds of pounds, a union claims.

Staff employed by XPO logistics, which runs the company's Barnsley warehouse, reported over and underpayments, with some not paid at all, the GMB said.

One worker said her children had had to miss school because she could not afford to give them their bus fares.

XPO said the payroll issue happened last year and had since been resolved.

Deanne Ferguson, GMB regional organiser, said the union had been inundated with calls from members who had been experiencing ongoing problems.

She said some had not been given overtime payments, leaving employees hundreds of pounds out of pocket, while others had been overpaid, with deductions then taken out of their wages without being told.

The worker, who did not want to be named, said: "They don't care whether we've got money to eat and live.

"This is not just happening to me but to lots of my other colleagues and it's month after month."

Inside the warehouse in Barnsley
The union has advised affected workers to lodge an immediate grievance against XPO logistics

Ms Ferguson said: "It's payroll chaos there and it's causing a lot of stress and anxiety with some people not able to pay their bills.

"Their payslips can be very hard to understand, so in some instances where there's been an overpayment, workers have not necessarily realised.

"Then the next month there's been a big chunk taken out of their wage and all of sudden they've got no money left."

Under employment law, if a worker has been genuinely overpaid, employers are entitled to reclaim the overpayment.

However, it is considered best practice to discuss and agree a repayment plan with the employee.

Ms Ferguson said: "A good employer would sit down with a staff member and ensure that they can afford any repayment plan. We're being told this isn't happening and it's totally unacceptable."

In a statement, XPO said: "Our payroll vendor experienced a temporary issue in the summer of 2018, and we quickly worked with them to resolve it.

"We have communicated with affected employees every step of the way."