Travel Expenses: Dumb Things your Company has Done
Feb 16, 2017, 7:09 am
#181
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 960
I worked in a small company, which were easier to ask to extend overseas trips, since the ticket fare was the same or less than returning at the end of the business part.
Only one time the heir of one of the the company complained about it (it was a 3-day training overseas, Mon-Wed, I had the green light from my boss, sales director, the Thu & Fri came from due vacation period, I was going other city nearby and will pay all my expenses).
He called me Wednesday morning to complain, I told him OK, I could return today, please just send a new ticket and refund me of my personal hotel reservations and expenses already paid.
There was no reason to need me back at the office 2 days earlier, he was just p** off because I was "taking advantage" - a thing his father (and himself) used to do all the time. Ok, they were the owners...
Later I found he was really willing to pay everything, to teach me a lesson, but when he asked mommy (finance director) to change the ticket, she told him that she had agreed with, even because the air fare was cheaper with me staying more than one week instead of only 4 days, and I had overdue vacations.
But OK, if he really wanted it, she would reimburse me and the extra company expenses with the new ticket (same day int'l fare...) from his salary.
For some reason he stepped back...
Only one time the heir of one of the the company complained about it (it was a 3-day training overseas, Mon-Wed, I had the green light from my boss, sales director, the Thu & Fri came from due vacation period, I was going other city nearby and will pay all my expenses).
He called me Wednesday morning to complain, I told him OK, I could return today, please just send a new ticket and refund me of my personal hotel reservations and expenses already paid.
There was no reason to need me back at the office 2 days earlier, he was just p** off because I was "taking advantage" - a thing his father (and himself) used to do all the time. Ok, they were the owners...
Later I found he was really willing to pay everything, to teach me a lesson, but when he asked mommy (finance director) to change the ticket, she told him that she had agreed with, even because the air fare was cheaper with me staying more than one week instead of only 4 days, and I had overdue vacations.
But OK, if he really wanted it, she would reimburse me and the extra company expenses with the new ticket (same day int'l fare...) from his salary.
For some reason he stepped back...
PS: he was at his late 20's, he was the managing director, and it was (and I'm pretty sure still is) his first and only job since he finished college. I was with he company from almost 10 years, and I had did it before with no problems, but this was the first time I asked for it since the he joined the business.
Feb 16, 2017, 10:25 am
#182
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 254
I worked in a small company, which were easier to ask to extend overseas trips, since the ticket fare was the same or less than returning at the end of the business part.
Only one time the heir of one of the the company complained about it (it was a 3-day training overseas, Mon-Wed, I had the green light from my boss, sales director, the Thu & Fri came from due vacation period, I was going other city nearby and will pay all my expenses).
He called me Wednesday morning to complain, I told him OK, I could return today, please just send a new ticket and refund me of my personal hotel reservations and expenses already paid.
There was no reason to need me back at the office 2 days earlier, he was just p** off because I was "taking advantage" - a thing his father (and himself) used to do all the time. Ok, they were the owners...
Later I found he was really willing to pay everything, to teach me a lesson, but when he asked mommy (finance director) to change the ticket, she told him that she had agreed with, even because the air fare was cheaper with me staying more than one week instead of only 4 days, and I had overdue vacations.
But OK, if he really wanted it, she would reimburse me and the extra company expenses with the new ticket (same day int'l fare...) from his salary.
For some reason he stepped back...
Only one time the heir of one of the the company complained about it (it was a 3-day training overseas, Mon-Wed, I had the green light from my boss, sales director, the Thu & Fri came from due vacation period, I was going other city nearby and will pay all my expenses).
He called me Wednesday morning to complain, I told him OK, I could return today, please just send a new ticket and refund me of my personal hotel reservations and expenses already paid.
There was no reason to need me back at the office 2 days earlier, he was just p** off because I was "taking advantage" - a thing his father (and himself) used to do all the time. Ok, they were the owners...
Later I found he was really willing to pay everything, to teach me a lesson, but when he asked mommy (finance director) to change the ticket, she told him that she had agreed with, even because the air fare was cheaper with me staying more than one week instead of only 4 days, and I had overdue vacations.
But OK, if he really wanted it, she would reimburse me and the extra company expenses with the new ticket (same day int'l fare...) from his salary.
For some reason he stepped back...
PS: he was at his late 20's, he was the managing director, and it was (and I'm pretty sure still is) his first and only job since he finished college. I was with he company from almost 10 years, and I had did it before with no problems, but this was the first time I asked for it since the he joined the business.
Feb 16, 2017, 10:47 am
#183
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When your boss does this for you, it's a courtesy showing that he is thinking about your well-being, and since he's going to send you across the ocean, he wants to throw in a "bonus" that isn't going to cost him anything and make you happier.
When you try to do this on your own, it can show that you're just trying to game the system and exploit the company.
When you try to do this on your own, it can show that you're just trying to game the system and exploit the company.
We've also been with the company a long, long time. I'm senior and report directly to the CEO -- and most of us have been there 12-25 years.
In May I'm stopping over for 3 nights in Iceland. No cost to the company - it's a free stopover - and Icelandair is quite cheap compared with the big US carriers. Boss thought it was a great idea. I told him after I booked it.
Feb 17, 2017, 10:26 am
#184
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Meals are a whole new kettle of fish for us! We have to specify the exact type of meal and cannot claim lunches if we're based in the UK - even if we travel and work for another territory abroad and the customer's paying.
And if we do claim a meal, we have to specify the type of meal it was, and whether we ate alone or with colleagues, partners, etc. If with colleagues, we have to name them individually. Each major city in the world has a different 'allowance' for meals - and it's a random number!
We can also no longer combine a week's worth of meals at the hotel and specify '4 meals' on a single expense item. We have to declare every meal separately.
Then there's a 7-day rule for when expenses need to be submitted or you get a warning. That's pretty hard to do when you're travelling and expenses from your corporate card take several days to get into the expenses system.
I have to set aside a full two hours every week (an hour each on Mondays and Fridays) to do my expenses. It is a total PITA and one of the worst parts of my job.
And if we do claim a meal, we have to specify the type of meal it was, and whether we ate alone or with colleagues, partners, etc. If with colleagues, we have to name them individually. Each major city in the world has a different 'allowance' for meals - and it's a random number!
We can also no longer combine a week's worth of meals at the hotel and specify '4 meals' on a single expense item. We have to declare every meal separately.
Then there's a 7-day rule for when expenses need to be submitted or you get a warning. That's pretty hard to do when you're travelling and expenses from your corporate card take several days to get into the expenses system.
I have to set aside a full two hours every week (an hour each on Mondays and Fridays) to do my expenses. It is a total PITA and one of the worst parts of my job.
Feb 17, 2017, 1:31 pm
#186
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: YVR
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Posts: 3,759
Once I was staying in a hotel (conference hotel, so not my choice) on a Sunday that only did a very modest brunch, not breakfast or lunch. [For the record, there wasn't any other restaurant within easy walking distance and I didn't have a rental car.] When I turned in a reasonable receipt for brunch that day (and didn't have either breakfast or lunch), reimbursement was denied because the meal was neither breakfast nor lunch. Of course, if I had had both breakfast and lunch, it would have cost more than the brunch I was forced to take.
Feb 17, 2017, 2:09 pm
#187
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I recall the no-lunch thing from a similar thread here years ago. Easily the most asinine travel policy of all. And counterproductive for a lot of people who don't usually eat enormous breakfasts that carry them through to dinnertime.
Feb 17, 2017, 3:00 pm
#188
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I heard someone try to justify this policy once....I walked away shaking my head.
Feb 18, 2017, 2:42 am
#189
Join Date: Nov 2008
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We talked about this at my last company and decided it forced unhealthy eating habits. The company didn't want to get sued my someone who developed obesity or diabetes so agreed to a small lunch expense.
Feb 18, 2017, 12:20 pm
#190
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The no lunch thing is a bit weird. We get a 'recommended limit' on meals each day. I can't remember the exact value, but it's something like 35GBP. That's every day we are travelling away from home and on a client site.
So, what issue would my employer have with me expensing lunch? I can expense breakfast and dinner with no issues, but can't expense lunch. Breakfast I get included via the hotel booking anyway and my evening dinner doesn't come close to 35GBP. But I may make sure it does from next week.
So, what issue would my employer have with me expensing lunch? I can expense breakfast and dinner with no issues, but can't expense lunch. Breakfast I get included via the hotel booking anyway and my evening dinner doesn't come close to 35GBP. But I may make sure it does from next week.
Feb 18, 2017, 2:01 pm
#191
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: South Yorkshire, UK
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A former colleague of mine was in the habit of booking hotels with breakfast included and then submitted receipts that he found/scrounged for breakfast outside the hotel. It wasn't hard to find him out and it appeared on a list of transgressions when he was let go during downsizing.
Feb 23, 2017, 11:24 pm
#192
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I'm leaving a company with absurd travel policies. I'm old enough that I don't have time for policies that don't look at the big picture. New Company isn't perfect, but applies some logic to travel.
Feb 24, 2017, 1:50 am
#193
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Scotland - ABZ
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Posts: 2,057
The no lunch thing is a bit weird. We get a 'recommended limit' on meals each day. I can't remember the exact value, but it's something like 35GBP. That's every day we are travelling away from home and on a client site.
So, what issue would my employer have with me expensing lunch? I can expense breakfast and dinner with no issues, but can't expense lunch. Breakfast I get included via the hotel booking anyway and my evening dinner doesn't come close to 35GBP. But I may make sure it does from next week.
So, what issue would my employer have with me expensing lunch? I can expense breakfast and dinner with no issues, but can't expense lunch. Breakfast I get included via the hotel booking anyway and my evening dinner doesn't come close to 35GBP. But I may make sure it does from next week.
Limits like £35 are often based on what HMRC guidelines say. You can find them online. I used to use them as a backup for increasing my daily allowed unreceipted expenses. They have daily limits for several countries and cities within a country.
Feb 24, 2017, 8:54 am
#194
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Feb 24, 2017, 9:34 am
#195
Join Date: Sep 2009
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I'm not arguing for it, but trying to fathom their reasoning.
I know, life is too short.
I'm not one for a big breakfast or lunch. 2 weeks ago in Israel I was having hotel coffee and cookie for breakfast, go to meetings, 11 am shaksuka for brunch, green tea in the afternoon, decent dinner with a glass or two of wine - but working from laptop or phone almost all that time.
If you're just a lone road warrior like me with no office, you often buy a cup of coffee or whatever (or pay for a seat reservation on a train) just so you can sit down and use the WiFi.
Luckily I don't have to justify every dollar I spend but just the overall expenditure. I can imagine what it's like for strict policy-bound people though, because back-office types simply have no realistic idea what it's like on the road.
Occasionally I've had to travel with one of them and they just can't cope with the inconveniences.
I know, life is too short.
I'm not one for a big breakfast or lunch. 2 weeks ago in Israel I was having hotel coffee and cookie for breakfast, go to meetings, 11 am shaksuka for brunch, green tea in the afternoon, decent dinner with a glass or two of wine - but working from laptop or phone almost all that time.
If you're just a lone road warrior like me with no office, you often buy a cup of coffee or whatever (or pay for a seat reservation on a train) just so you can sit down and use the WiFi.
Luckily I don't have to justify every dollar I spend but just the overall expenditure. I can imagine what it's like for strict policy-bound people though, because back-office types simply have no realistic idea what it's like on the road.
Occasionally I've had to travel with one of them and they just can't cope with the inconveniences.