Forfeit Expenses?
scantey
94 Posts
Our Corporate Company policy (that I did not write) states that employees must turn in their expenses within 30 days in order to be reimbursed. We have an old employee who left the company in December and is now turning in expenses dating back to August of 1993. My gut feeling is that we have to pay him and money owed that came from a "legit" business expense. Because of our policy can we legally have him "forfeit payment" based on a timely manner. I am in California and our Corporate office is in New York is the rules are different....
Comments
My $0.02 worth!
DJ The Balloonman
Note: The preceeding is my personal opinion and has no value beyond that. Although it may be 'sorta offensive' or 'indeed offensive' to someone out there, it is offered without regard to that possibility. Should you find yourself alarmed by my post, you may privately mail me to protest or you may alert the principal's office. x:-)
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My $0.02 worth!
DJ The Balloonman
The policy in this case is clear, but the circumstances may warrant an exception. Why did it take this person so long to turn in his expenses? What is the practice in actuality - is it common practice for people in the company to be late in turning in their expenses? You might be successful in a legal battle, but how does this action reverberate around the organization - another example of strictly adhering to rules when it comes to dealing with employees, no matter what? And what are you talking in regard to total expense - is the time being spent on this issue and costs for attorney fees, etc. in reviewing this situation far exceeding the actual cost of reimbursing these expenses? And what is to be gained by beating this "old" person out of a few hundred bucks, particularly since he isn't working there anymore?
I know some of you are going to say paying would establish a bad precedent, but I don't think it will. In fact, I would say this offers an opportunity to review what I consider to be a rather strict policy. 30 days is not much time to submit your reimbursement expenses and should be lengthened. And, frankly, these are expenses incurred by employees on the companies behalf - it isn't like they are asking for reimbursement of expenses that aren't legitimate business expenses.
Did the company keep its reimbursement policy a secret? I doubt it. The EE knew or should have known about the deadlines. I am all for flexibility in policies, but this is often a one-way street. If the ER demonstrated the same time insensitivity when it came to paying its employees or vendors, there would definitely be consequences.
All of that said, 30 days is kind of tight. Is this a consistently enforced policy or just enforced for ex-EEs?
I also just realized some of us are assuming the errant/forgetful employee is an older worker and we're encouraged to feel sorry for him, therefore enabling him to become a 'victim'. I assumed the term 'old employee' to mean ex-employee and brushed it aside as a statement in the vernacular. Like an old friend. Or, an old employee of ours, meaning somebody who used to work here, but of no particular age. I also refer to my last vehicle as 'an old car of mine'. It doesn't relate to age but to ex. I don't refer to my ex wife as an old wife of mine, although she is an old hag.