Yesterday payroll told me that they hadn't been deducting my insurance premiums from my paycheck. I came on full time in May, and HR never gave payroll the insurance forms.

Payroll would now like to deduct the entire sum of my premiums dating from May from my current paycheck.

Is this reasonable? What law might apply? It seems that I should not have to double-check the work of HR and payroll. I didn't realize deductions weren't being made. Plus, I am paying a lot of student loans, so finances are tight.

Thank you for any advice.

How did you not realize the premiums weren't being deducted? Was it listed on your paystubs? Yes, they can deduct those premium amounts retroactively.

How did you not realize the premiums weren't being deducted? Was it listed on your paystubs? Yes, they can deduct those premium amounts retroactively.

I didn't realize because I am fresh out of school and have never had paystubs before. I had grants from the NSF--they just give you money and you get your own insurance. HR did not tell me that there was such a thing as premiums that I had to pay. You can't look for something if you aren't even aware of it.

Either way, if they were supposed to be making deductions and through some clerical error they were not, nothing in the law says that you have to get free insurance or that they are prohibited from making the corrections.

Have you asked if they would spread the arrearages over a longer period of time?