URGENT HELP - Current boss & reference

marybelle01

dilemma10 wrote: »

I put £500 for a congestion charge on the corporate credit card as the bailiff turned up at 6am on the morning of a flight abroad. Obviously with the intention of re-paying ASAP. I have regretted this since the day I did it. I arranged immediate payment with my boss but she has since sent letters/informed board of directors. However, we seemed to clear it up.

Ah, but that wouldn't quite true would it? You didn't arrange immediate repayment with your boss. You put £540 on the company credit card and then you went on holiday immediately for three weeks, and did nothing at all about telling your employer so that you would have "peace of mind" (your words) while you were on holiday. By the time you got back three weeks later they had worked it out for themselves.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4053491=

It isn't exactly surprising therefore that they didn't entirely believe you when you tried to explain, and there is nothing in your other thread to indicate that there was any "mishap" - you used the company credit card for paying a personal fine and then you didn't tell them. You are very fortunate on that matter alone, that you were not dismissed for gross misconduct and that that is not what is on your reference.

The fact that the employer didn't dismiss you may be slightly in your favour - but you have brought this on yourself.

kazwookie

Let me reiterate I have been foolish but I work 70 hour weeks for this org on the lowest pay in the company. I bend over backwards. She shouted at me down the phone when I gave in my resignation. I am bullied by her on twitter and in person.

1. cancell your twitter account. Simples. But record (copy and paste first the bulling)

2. Write down when she bullies you, keep a record, and go and see HR with the record.

3. How many hours a week does your contract say?

If you worked for me you would be on a final warning by now, over the £500 charge.

getmore4less

So this main credit card issues was recent and AFTER you resigned!

is it relating to this in March or a different one.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3851107=

Is it the same car? you were told in that thread you did not have to pay as the car was on HP.

marybelle01

getmore4less wrote: »

So this main credit card issues was recent and AFTER you resigned!

is it relating to this in March or a different one.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3851107=

Is it the same car? you were told in that thread you did not have to pay as the car was on HP.

And maybe the OP did or didn't have to pay. But the fact is that it isn't relevant to the fact that they used their company credit card to pay it and didn't (as they said they did) immediately notify the employer, but instead went away on holiday having deliberately decided not to tell the employer immediately - with the result that by the time they came back the employer already knew. So whether they had already resigned or not also isn't really relevant. The OP shouldn't have done it and they could easily have been dismissed - and fairly dismissed - for having done it. The fact that they weren't dismissed was an easy get out, and might count in their favour with the new employer. But that doesn't change the fact that this wasn't a mishap - it was the result of deliberate decisions by the OP. I have a company credit card too - and I can tell you for a fact that my "easy going" cushy public sector employer (according to everything a read around here) would terminate my contract on the spot for doing something like this. Even if I had handed in my notice beforehand. And for employees (which I am not) it would be a gross misconduct disciplinary.

If you then add to that the putting fuel in on the company card (having worked there two years, surely the OP knew that they were supposed to claim mileage, not buy fuel?), and it builds a pretty convincing picture of someone running amok with the company credit card. Maybe thinking that, having resigned, they wouldn't get caught until after they had left? It doesn't matter whether that perception is true or not - it's as convincing a "reasonable belief" as "a series of mishaps". Actually, it's a more convincing scenario.

I'm not commenting on the phone issue - I can't make head nor tail of the story. But there is already enough there to make the employers argument very convincing, so the OP best come up with something equally convincing. And what they have put here isn't even vaguely convincing.

BobQ

I am bemused by the OPs behaviour.

AS am employee there must be a means of you reclaiming expenses either formally written down or at least verbally agreed. Whatever your motive if you charged something to the company credit card for fuel either this was normal practice or you were required to claim so much a mile. Either way if you did not follow the defined process, even if you made no financial gain its a disciplinary offence.

If the credit card was for a company owned vehicle and you were authorised to pay it on the company card its not an issue. If you were not authorised its a disciplinary matter. If the car was yours you have probably committed fraud and are liable to to sacked for gross misconduct.

As to the phone, as I understand it you are paid a fixed sum per month to provide yourself with a business phone which you hire in your name. Legally I doubt that you can hand it over to the employer, I am sure the contract provider would have a clause preventing re-selling the contract to a third party. The arrangement could leave you out of pocket depending on phone usage (in which case why do it) or give you a taxable benefit (which you must declare). Unless you have a contract with your employer that you will not use the work phone for personal calls I cannot see that the employer can enforce your use of the phone. It appears that your employer is not paying for the calls just a fee to use it.

Either way, however good an employee you have been and however much free time and free resources you provide the employer, you are exceptionally naive and are lucky that you have not been sacked for the credit card payments.

dilemma10

This is all rather long-winded and out of context but to cut a long story short I have informed my new employer of every single thing that I have done so that I start my new job in utmost honesty and they are fine and say I should have learnt my lesson, which believe you me I have done.

May I add greater context to this:
- Some of these things have happened long before resignation so are not to be seen as 'demob' happy/getting revenge of some sort.
- My line manager is not of the 'normal' variety - for instance, when I handed in my resignation she exploded.
- For two years I have worked my ar** off and suffered all sorts of weird abuse - check out some of my previous threads.

I think I am mentally out of shape, not an excuse for the credit card but I feel I have just had enough really.

Thanks for your advice.

fleesaurus

dilemma10 wrote: »

This is all rather long-winded and out of context but to cut a long story short I have informed my new employer of every single thing that I have done so that I start my new job in utmost honesty and they are fine and say I should have learnt my lesson, which believe you me I have done.

May I add greater context to this:
- Some of these things have happened long before resignation so are not to be seen as 'demob' happy/getting revenge of some sort.
- My line manager is not of the 'normal' variety - for instance, when I handed in my resignation she exploded.
- For two years I have worked my ar** off and suffered all sorts of weird abuse - check out some of my previous threads.

I think I am mentally out of shape, not an excuse for the credit card but I feel I have just had enough really.

Thanks for your advice.

You've made several very serious breaches of trust... Be grateful your employer didn't call the police. Why should the new employer hire someone who's "mentally out of shape"? Why should their hire someone who has a habit in trying their luck with company finances?

People like you should get sacked and marched to the police station for some jail time.

What you've done on more than one occasion is immoral, criminal, and you deserve no reference. If I were you I'd move on and try to find a job not requiring a reference, preferably in a different industry/area where you'll never meet your ex-employer or former colleagues ever again in case they bring it up and your new colleagues, customers, or employer finds out.

dilemma10

fleesaurus wrote: »

You've made several very serious breaches of trust... Be grateful your employer didn't call the police. Why should the new employer hire someone who's "mentally out of shape"? Why should their hire someone who has a habit in trying their luck with company finances?

People like you should get sacked and marched to the police station for some jail time.

What you've done on more than one occasion is immoral, criminal, and you deserve no reference. If I were you I'd move on and try to find a job not requiring a reference, preferably in a different industry/area where you'll never meet your ex-employer or former colleagues ever again in case they bring it up and your new colleagues, customers, or employer finds out.

Sorry I have offended you?

dilemma10

dilemma10 wrote: »

Sorry I have offended you?

I've told my new employer everything!

Oh well. Let you believe what you must on here.

marybelle01

fleesaurus wrote: »

You've made several very serious breaches of trust... Be grateful your employer didn't call the police. Why should the new employer hire someone who's "mentally out of shape"? Why should their hire someone who has a habit in trying their luck with company finances?

People like you should get sacked and marched to the police station for some jail time.

What you've done on more than one occasion is immoral, criminal, and you deserve no reference. If I were you I'd move on and try to find a job not requiring a reference, preferably in a different industry/area where you'll never meet your ex-employer or former colleagues ever again in case they bring it up and your new colleagues, customers, or employer finds out.

You did in fact read the post you quoted? The OP's new employer has accepted the explanation. End of story.