Keep the money after all, says Microsoft Inc. (NASDAQ:
MSFT).
The
move is likely an effort to correct the public relations gaffe -- not to mention the original accounting error -- the software giant made in sending letters to laidoff employees requesting they
return some of their severance pay.
Continue reading below
"Last week, 25 former Microsoft employees were informed that they were
overpaid as a part of their severance payments from the company," says
a spokesperson for Microsoft. "This was a mistake on our part. We
should have handled this situation in a more thoughtful manner. We are
reaching out to those impacted to relay that we will not seek any
payment from those individuals."
The overpayments made by the company varied from hundreds of dollars to
$5,000 per employee. The company also underpaid 20 employees.
Microsoft, which you'll no doubt recall makes the popular Microsoft
Money personal finance program, still hasn't explained how the
accounting mistakes were made. -
Mary Kathleen Flynn
