My Employer Hasn't Paid Me: What Should I Do?

If your employer has not paid you wages you are owed, this is usually an unlawful deduction from wages under the law, and you have several ways to recover the money. Start by checking your contract and payslip, then raise it with your employer in writing. If that does not work, you can use a grievance, Acas, and ultimately an employment tribunal, but the time limits are short, so act quickly.

What counts as your employer not paying you?

It covers more than a missed salary. Unpaid wages can include your normal pay, overtime you are contractually entitled to, holiday pay, commission or bonuses that are due, and the National Minimum or Living Wage if you have been underpaid. Deductions from your pay are generally only lawful if required by law, allowed by your contract, or agreed in writing in advance.

What is an unlawful deduction from wages?

The law protects workers from having pay withheld without a proper basis. If your employer pays you less than you are owed, or nothing at all, that shortfall is usually treated as an unlawful deduction from wages. This is one of the most common employment claims, and it applies to workers as well as employees.

What should you do first?

Take these steps in order:

• Check your contract and payslips so you know exactly what you are owed
• Raise it with your employer in writing, clearly and politely, keeping a copy
• If there is no resolution, put in a formal written grievance
• Keep records of all dates, amounts and correspondence

Many problems are resolved at this stage, especially where it is a genuine payroll error.

What if your employer still will not pay?

If raising it directly does not work, you can notify Acas and use free early conciliation to try to reach a settlement. If that fails, you can bring a claim in the employment tribunal for unlawful deduction from wages. For straightforward debts you may alternatively use the small claims route, but the tribunal is usually the right forum for wages claims.

How long do you have to claim?

The time limits are strict. A tribunal claim for unlawful deduction from wages must currently be started within three months less one day of the deduction (or the last in a series), with the clock paused during Acas conciliation. This limit is due to extend to six months for many claims, expected no earlier than October 2026. Because the current window is short, do not wait, take advice as soon as you can.

What if your employer has gone insolvent?

If your employer has become insolvent and cannot pay, you may be able to claim certain unpaid amounts, such as wages, holiday pay and notice pay, up to statutory limits, from the government’s National Insurance Fund through the Redundancy Payments Service.

Getting advice

If you are owed wages, we can advise you on the strongest route to recover them and act for you if a claim is needed. See our workplace issues service, or request a callback to talk it through.