Money Moral Dilemma: Should I keep the delay compensation I got for the train ticket I expensed?

MandyOrch

There is no dilemma. Expenses pay you back for financial outlay incurred in your job.

Compensation from a rail company is for the inconvenience their delay caused to you personally.

hunita

Are you an employee of the organisation? If so, you are being paid for your day’s work and your employer is paying for your train ticket, so as far as I can see you are not out of pocket and you are actually profiting - the size of the compensation is not the issue.

15 mins late is hardly an inconvenience and it was on the way to the meeting and didn’t impact your return journey.

Someone I work with was disciplined for exactly what you are considering doing. Don’t take the risk!

smartwoman

Easy option - don’t bother to claim. Leave the money with the train service as these refunds ultimately reflect on the service they are able to provide in the long term.

Pantilesjohn

I had a similar thing on a flight back from the USA a couple of years ago, flight was delayed by about 12 hours overall, got €600 I think and kept it as it was me that had the inconvenience and not the company. Keep it.

sjaeagle5

I'm not sure keeping it and/or not informing your company is the right thing to do, though it depends on the rules your company has regarding expenses claims.  Usually an expenses claim is made for the cost of your journey.  As this has now cost less than expected due to the delay claim, it's costing you less, so your company should reimburse you less, irrespective of the inconvenience.
I would ensure that your expenses/finance department are aware of your reimbursement and you should seek their advice on the matter.  That keeps it all in the open and doesn't put you in an awkward position that you may regret later.
It's not going to break the bank on either side, just in case they do decide to call it in.

UrbaneGeek

I have exactly this scenario. The refund is compensation for the time lost due to the train being late. As I'm travelling in my own time (e.g. I travel on a Sunday evening to be in work by 09:00 on Monday) I feel I'm due the refund. If I were being paid for the travelling time (e.g. I travel on the Monday morning and don't reach the office until 10:30) then the firm is owed the refund. 

Harvic

Check your expenses policy carefully.

However, when I'm expected to pay, often significant amounts, in advance out of my own pocket for necessary and predictable business expenses for the company I would argue keep it. I'm very happy for a administrator to book a ticket for me, cuts out the middleman and would get around this issue...

wigan_nic

This happened to me some years ago. Basically I was attending a work event, which I did attend although delayed.

I got compensation which was the whole ticket price. Later that year there was another work related event, I used the compentation to buy another train ticket for that event so all I needed to have funded was the accomodation.

However it did affect my free time when I was delayed, and the company would not compensate for that, so you need to cost the inconvenience as a personal impact (take the minimum wage amount if you like for an hour by hour cost) and if your company do not pay your time lost, then I would say it is yours. But don't take the minimum wage per hour as a definite value, my company charges me out to external clients at around £100 an hour but I don't see that in my wage packet. So weigh up what you think is reasonable. You are always worth more to your company than what they pay you.

jamie_biggr

1)  The money is compensation for the delay -
your time,
possibly extra costs - taxi travel rather than public transport,
Food and drink purchases if you missed an arranged meal, etc.

2) Were you paid for the added time, and associated costs, including making the claim.



If 2 applies, then you should notify the person paying those costs.



If 2 does not apply would you have received more compensation for extra costs ?

If you would not have received extra compensation - making it not restitution, then - consider it for the effect on you.
 
If you would have received more compensation, to the point where it was restitution, then who funded the outlay for which you are seemingly receiving restitution - 

You, well the payment is to cover your outlay.

If the costs were covered by your employer, etc. then they should be informed of the change in your net costs.

What the person/organisation covering your costs and time considers appropriate should, in my assessment  be a guiding factor. 

Agent57

I misread the original post and thought the train company was refunding the fare too.

£9?  Really?

Can I claim back for the time I wasted replying to this?