Expenses fraud - colleague

FizzledOut

Colleague has just laid an expenses form under my nose to be passed to a director to sign off. Colleague has claimed mileage for a job where I know colleague was given a lift by another colleague who will also be claiming mileage for the same trip.

It's over £150.

Colleague has to sign to certify the claim is legit. I know it isn't. We're a small company and I can't believe how stupid colleague is! It's a sackable offence.

I'm introduced by the MD as the office manager (although more glorified secretary) and I feel duty bound to tell bosses. But to have colleague sacked (I've no doubt they would) appalls me. But I feel like I'm crossing a line if I give this back to the colleague and say "who are you kidding!"

Advice please. Right now I'm thinking I'll give it back to him and tell him to pass it to a director when they are in (within the hour).

Morglin

If you are friendly with him, I would just "remind" him that he got a lift, and, other then that, tell him to give the form to a director.

This goes on a lot with expenses, and many consider it a perk of the job.

Lin

FizzledOut

I see it often with expenses - but we are a company of less than 10 people and before I was given the form there was a conversation between the 2 colleagues as to the delays they had with the journey in front of the office.

So saying nothing make me feel I'm complicit in the fraud.

wiogs

If you are going to tell someone that you believe this to be fraud you need hard evidence not just the fact that "you know" the person got a lift.

It has to be provable.

This sort of thing goes on and a blind eye is often turned to it but it can cost companies a fortune.

It might be worth suggesting to your boss that it seems daft to be paying expenses for two people to travel separately why don't they share in future?

tyllwyd

If it was me I think I'd hand it back to the colleague and say that you think he's got confused because you heard him talking about getting a lift that day.


He's put you in an impossible situation, but if you believe the claim to be wrong and you pass it on without saying anything you could get blamed as well.

cateerob

Its not fraud unless they both claim, maybe the other colleague is not going to claim.

FizzledOut

They were in the other colleagues car - I would anticipate the boss asking why would the passenger charge for mileage? The journey was on Friday - 2 days ago - they've been discussing all morning that they'll go on the train next time. The other colleague will claim without any doubt, but possibly not for another month or so. I'll look daft if I flag it then, knowing it was claimed previously.

I've given the form back to colleague telling them a director will be in shortly and they can give it to the director, well, directly!

bluenoseam

I think you need to wait til the other expenses claim is in, it could be that he's putting the claim in for it - wouldn't be unheard of.

However if that's not going to be the case I think you need to hand the form back telling him it's not a valid expenses claim & you don't appreciate being put in that position. He's playing on the fact you won't report it and that to me atleast is actually as bad if not worse than the dodgy expenses claim!

quidsy

I would have played it slightly differently. I would have called both over & said "just fyi "Steve"", "Bob" has already put in expenses for the friday trip so you don't need to fill out the forms"

That way they both know. And gives either or both of them a chance to point out if "this" claim is for a different trip.

Acc72

Interesting dilemma ...... it is difficult to give exact advice without knowing the company, the personalities involved, the culture, how long you / colleague have been employed etc. etc.

As said previously, this kind of thing happens a lot - interestingly enough, the people who make these errors only seem to over-claim and they never seem to under-claim ....

If you raise it then your colleague will surely say that he made a mistake.

I would just hand him back the form and ask him to check the details. If he is happy with what he is claiming then ask him to pass the form to the MD for signing.

If the MD signs it, then pay it.

I have seen all kinds before now - for all you know the MD could have an agreement with your colleague to pay "expenses" instead of a pay increase - which would incur additional tax an national insurance costs for both parties.

Yes, I have seen this before with fictitious mileage claims that the MD was aware of and happy to pay - and I then had to keep quiet when we had a PAYE compliance Review.

quidsy

Another option is to ask him why he is claiming the expenses when the other collegue was driving, on the basis that you don't want to duplicate the claim later on.

I personally wouldn't just sign it with a suspsicion they were trying to do a fast one as you would then become complicit but I would also be reluctant to grass them up without first giving them the chance to redeem themselves.