Is there a reason why my employer rounded down my salary to .99?

So I started a new job, it's an entry level low pay job. Salary on contract is rounded. On my payslip however, it says $x9999.99 like I'm some bargain cheap goods on sale.. one cent is nothing but my morale has gone done as it like like it's on a lower tier now.

Why would employers round down someone's salary like that?

closed Comments

  • +11

    Srsly?

  • +1

    What happened when you asked your employer?

    • +4

      Perhaps they gave their 2 cents worth….

      • +4

        They said OP wasn't making cents

        • +1

          That was when the penny dropped.

      • If they employee did then the OP would be getting 50,000.01 now and be happy.

  • Because you're only worth that much.

    On a serious note, r u kidding. Just round up to 50 when people ask you, and that's your most pressing concern?

  • +6

    "one cent is nothing but my morale has gone done"

    lol

  • +7

    Maybe round down your hours to suit, for example, instead of finishing at 5, you could finish at say 4.59

    • So thats stealing 1 min per day, equals equals about 4 hours a year. Not really the same as the op being short changed 1 cent over the year!

  • +5

    You sound like your self esteem is already low, having to tie to salary and what other people will think of what you think of them.
    Cheer up, enjoy your job and do well in it!

  • +2

    Might've been done for budget. Position had to be under $50k. Not unusual in large businesses. The department will have a set budget for staff.

    I've never checked mine to the cent but with tax being a percentage and then being paid 12 monthly payments over the year I'd be surprised if there wasn't a cent lost or gained here and there.

  • +3

    Ask for a raise of 2c. I always ask for double the raise I want, so there's room to barter.

  • +1

    Take it to Tracey Grimshaw

  • +1

    What's your address? I'll post you a cheque for the extra cent ;)

    It might be because they need to work it back to an hourly rate and 50k even doesn't quite work. For example to work out the rate to put on your payslip if they break it down they would divide 50k by 52 and then by 38. That's regardless of whether you do 38 hours a week or more than that.

  • It'll be some crazy payroll/tax/super rounding error that reduced your salary a whole cent over the year. Get a grip, its 1 cent.

  • I have never had anybody I care about ask me my salary.

  • +1

    Probably payroll software did that as it calculates tax withheld, super, net pay and times it by salary payment frequency. most accounting/bookkeeping programs do the rounding like that

  • How do u survive with 1 c off 50 k ?

  • Lucky they didn't round down to $49999.88 or .00 - if you were working at Costco, you would've been fired

    source: https://uproxx.com/life/costco-prices-explained-guide/2/

  • Thanks apsilon, Hardlyworkin, KinderBueno for explaining the possible reasons.

  • OP has got their answer and requested the thread be closed.

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