Real life MMD: Should I keep the train voucher?

Former_MSE_Penelope

Should I keep the train voucher?

I travelled from London to Durham by train on a £288 open return ticket paid for by my work. It was delayed by an hour so I complained and found I was entitled to a refund. I sent an application off to the train company and weeks later, I received £70 worth of rail vouchers, valid for 11 months and to be used by anyone for any rail journey. There is no process at my company to hand in the vouchers for someone else to use, and train tickets are bought through a third party on-line service.

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higginsb

It was you who was inconvenienced by the delay, not your company, therefore the refund is yours. Your company paid the correct fare for the journey you took on their behalf. Enjoy the vouchers with a clear concience, but if you're concerned, ask your line manager for guidance.

luxor4t

Keep the vouchers, it was you who was stuck on a train for an extra hour, not the company. Unless your company is thoughtful enough to play first class fares (unlikely!) you will have been cramped into a crowded carriage full of grumpy people. DH travels for business meetings and if there is a delay it is inevitably on the home leg - meaning that his 'own time' is cut short.

stardust09

I'd keep the vouchers and be happy! :-)

Your company had to pay for a ticket anyway and I'm guessing they'll be claiming it on their accounts as a legitimate travel expense. Think of it as a rare perk.

sibles

I agree. I travel backwards and forwards to London for work and my boss told me that our policy is for you to keep the vouchers, you were the one who had the inconvienience, not the company.

Hope that helps

matador_uk

It was you who was delayed and you who was inconvenienced so I'd say you should benefit from the vouchers.

Your company has paid no more out of pocket than they would have, and as rail journeys are booked through third party operatives I imagine it'd be more hassle than it's worth to try and return the vouchers for your company to use.

Use them with a clear conscience I say!

rubix_76

Unless you were being paid by the hour whilst being delayed (in which case it would have cost your company extra) I would keep the voucher.

jamespir

i would tell my work about the voucher and let them decide the best course of action

Sheepster

Best to run it by your line manager, but odds on the company simply won't care. Really is though best to check just in case they ever found out somehow, and that somehow you've broken a company rule you didn't know about.

If the line manager says its ok - then it's not you who would take the flak lol

epm-84

If you were due to arrive back at 5pm but the delay caused you to arrive back at 6pm and your company hasn't paid you an hour's overtime (which would be very likely) than it is you who were inconveinced so you should keep the voucher.

However, if you arrived back at 5pm instead of 4pm but were doing your best to work on the train then went home at your usual time then no-one's really lost out.

menshevik

Follow the advice of jamespir and Sheepster. One of the sales staff where I used to work collected Air Miles and used them to help cover his family's summer holiday. He lost his job. Company policy was that any benefits received in the course of employment had to be declared. The company worked hard to maintain its good reputation and was wary of employees receiving largesse, especially if it was courted.