Your employer didn't pay your wages

Establish what you are owed

Work out the gap between what you should have received and what actually reached your account, month by month. Payslips, bank statements and the employment contract together show that: the payslip states the sum, the statement shows whether it arrived. Hours worked matter too, so keep rosters, clock-in records or the messages you were sent about shifts. A clear figure, arrived at the same way each month, is far harder to argue with than a rounded estimate.

Ask in writing before anything else

A dated written request often resolves this without a claim, and it also creates the record you need if it does not. Name the months, the amounts and a short deadline, and send it somewhere it will be received and can be proven. Keep the tone factual. If the employer replies disputing the sum, that reply is useful too: it usually tells you which part they contest and which they accept.

Delay is its own claim

Late payment can carry compensation over and above the wages, and it is designed to make delay expensive rather than merely inconvenient. The amount depends on how long the delay lasted and the circumstances, so the date each payment was actually due matters and is worth recording precisely. Do not let it drift on assurances; note every promise and the date it was made.

FAQ

My employer says there is no money right now.

Cash-flow trouble does not remove the obligation to pay wages. Get the promise in writing with a date, and keep the deadline running.

I am still employed. Can I claim anyway?

Yes. Claiming for unpaid wages is a protected step, and treating you badly for it can create a separate claim on top.

I never received payslips.

That is itself a problem for the employer, and a bank statement plus your own record of hours can still establish the picture.

Do I need a lawyer?

Not always. Unpaid wage sums often fit small claims, and a documented demand letter resolves many cases before that.