Are you required to repay excess salary received to your previous employer?

Questioner

My previous employer made a mistake when paying my salary. They paid me over 900 euros too much in May 2022, the reason for this is that they paid out my vacation days that I eventually took as vacation days. They made a mistake in this that I did not notice at the time. At the end of June 2022 I terminated my contract and last week I heard from my old employer for the first time about the amount received too much. I wondered: am I obliged to pay back the amount received too much to my old employer?

Lawyer

If it is established that you have received too much, the employer has paid without due cause and you are obliged to repay it. You can request a repayment arrangement and the employer could in my opinion be expected to cooperate in this. If you are still owed amounts by your employer on other grounds, which I do not assume, you could offset them. You must then declare this (in writing) to your employer.