Money Moral Dilemma: How should my wife deal with sharing meal costs at her new job?

Afourteen

If the meals when away are company funded I'm sure they have a policy on how much can be claimed. My last employer has a policy of meals when away for work purposes of Breakfast £12; Lunch £6; Evening Meal £25 all a maximum you could only claim for what you actually had up to the maximum. Today those figures are respectively £16/£6.50/£34. To exceed those figures you had to have both manager and finance manager agreement. 

You wife needs to enquire either of her manager or finance people on what the policy is before the next trip.  

If the equally divided bill amount exceeds that clearly those who are ordering over that amount should be made aware that you wife has a maximum budget and any excess is out of her pocket. 

Now if it is fully self funded then she should say on the next time I'll pay for my food & drink as that in this case is fairest. 

In a group of friends it could be different but it could also be an embarrassment if do split equally if you do or if you don't - it is so difficult to reach a happy medium. 

elsien

penners324 said:

Refuse to est with the team or ensure the employer is paying this back expenses

Nope, not seeing the benefit of isolating yourself from your fellow coworkers at the beginning of a new job. 

And you can’t issue. The employer is paying back if the amount is over, but they are willing to buy.

It’s very simple just to ask for a separate bill at the start of the meal. No need for any drama or toys out of prams.

Rog_somerset

Having been in this situation myself, when its been for a work thing, I’ve made a point of saying I’m a bit OCD over my expenses so I need a receipt for myself, just say you’ll pay as you go and sort your own out. 

Unless she is away for work by her own choice for convenience or otherwise then I can’t see why she wouldn’t be claiming expenses back. 

£40+ for 1 person evening meal is quite excessive but I’m sure the company will have a policy. Again from experience around £20 is enough for a decent meal + a drink. Anything over that I always would pay the difference out of pocket. If getting into rounds of drinks then again, it’s my choice so out of my pocket.

last big company I worked for changed policy to be £40 for a day worth of meals / subsistence and it was up to you how you spent it (e.g save it for £40 in evening or do a £20 breakfast and £10 of coffee / snacks in day etc) 

just don’t be shy and say to your colleagues that you can’t do it.