What to Do If You're Not Paid on Time

Late or incorrect pay is a recurring issue in UK private security — enough that it's shown up repeatedly in employment tribunal cases, including guards awarded thousands of pounds in unpaid wages after their employer couldn't (or wouldn't) pay them correctly. If you're an SIA-licensed guard dealing with a late or short payment, here's where you stand.

Your basic rights

Under UK employment law, most workers — including many security guards on flexible or zero-hours arrangements — are protected against unlawful deductions from wages under the Employment Rights Act. If you've worked a shift and agreed a rate, you're generally entitled to be paid it, in full and on time, regardless of how the company organises its payroll.

Common reasons pay goes wrong

• Hours logged incorrectly or not logged at all by the company
• Disputes over whether a shift was cancelled or completed
• Rate mix-ups when you work for a company across multiple sites at different rates
• Genuine payroll delays that go unresolved because no one chases them

What actually protects you

The single biggest factor in resolving a pay dispute quickly is having your own record of what you worked — independent of the company's system. A written note of the date, site, company, hours, and agreed rate, made at the time, carries real weight if you need to raise a formal query or take it further with ACAS or a tribunal.

Steps to take if you're not paid correctly

• Compare your own shift record against your payslip.
• Raise it in writing with the company, referencing specific dates and hours.
• If unresolved, contact ACAS for free early conciliation advice.
• Keep every record — texts, emails, and your own shift log — as evidence.

Keep your evidence in one place

Shiftaan helps you build that record automatically as you work — every shift, every company, every rate, with payment status tracked so you always know exactly what's owed and what's been paid.

Try Shiftaan free →