Money Moral Dilemma: Should I accept rail delay refunds for train tickets my employer paid for?

LadyBee_2

I am pretty sure this problem was aired in this forum some time ago......rather boring to go through it all again!

Grumpy_chap

MSE_Kelvin said:

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...

I travel a lot for work using the train. I arrange the tickets myself and pay for them with my own money, then my employer reimburses me the same day. Sometimes, a couple of days after my journey, I receive a notification from the train-booking app I use, letting me know I'm entitled to claim a full or partial refund as my train was delayed. Is it OK for me to claim and keep the refund when my employer's already reimbursed me for the cost of the tickets?

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Five pages of response may be found here:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6544349/money-moral-dilemma-should-i-keep-the-delay-compensation-i-got-for-the-train-ticket-i-expensed/p1

Rd1994

Yes, as with airlines the payment is for your time 

Gosportmum

Request clarification from HR. Then you can't be accused of fraud, deception etc

Ed264

You're getting mixed reactions/opinions here. The most straightforward option is to discuss the matter with your employer and accept whatever advice they give you, preferably in writing.

keithyno.1

Yes, claim and keep any refunds. It's YOU who's suffering the inconvenience of the train delays, not your bosses. 

In any case, once you've submitted your expense claim and they've reimbursed you, no one in the company you work for is going to be thinking to themselves, "Mmmm, I wonder if X's train has been delayed and he or she might be getting a full or partial refund which we can get back off him/her?"

It's just a normal business expense that's been reimbursed and will have been entered into your employer's ledgers. It's quite probable that your employer may not even have a process for dealing with a refund if you offered to pass it on to them anyway.

Emmia

keithyno.1 said:

Yes, claim and keep any refunds. It's YOU who's suffering the inconvenience of the train delays, not your bosses. 

In any case, once you've submitted your expense claim and they've reimbursed you, no one in the company you work for is going to be wondering, "Mmmm, I wonder if X's train has been delayed and he or she might be getting a full or partial refund which we can get back off him/her?"

It's just a normal business expense that's been reimbursed and will have been entered into your employer's ledgers. It's quite probable that your employer may not even have a process for dealing with a refund if you offered to pass it on to them.

I book my tickets through a work travel agent portal and so my employer pays for the ticket at the outset - I don't book, and reclaim the money... As I'm not the purchaser, merely the user should I claim a delay repay? The truth is as I haven't paid for the ticket I probably wouldn't bother to put in a claim, as the ticket hasn't cost me anything personally

I think this is something is best cleared with your employer/HR etc. so you're clear on their policy on this before you make any claims.

helene4266

I had this happen regularly on journeys back from London to Leeds some years ago. My employer (a non-departmental government body) said I could keep it as it was my time which was unpaid that I was delayed during. In those days it was vouchers to spend on trains journeys and I ended up with enough to take 5 friends first class to London for the weekend. So I’d say if your employer pays for your delayed time then it’s there’s, if not it’s yours as your own time was spent being delayed, and you wouldn’t have lost hours if it wasn’t for working at a different location that they requuired you to go to.

helene4266

Emmia said:

What's the risk of your employer finding out? If they do its fraud, and probably gross misconduct so you'd be fired in short order

Having worked in HR for over 20 years I can say your response is inaccurate and a sweeping generalisation. It’s not fraud unless the employer has a very specific watertight policy on how this type of thing should be dealt with, and potentially different employers would deal with entirely differently (not one size fits all). These days employees are rarely fired ‘in short order’ unless they have a poor employer as the risk of a tribunal claim is likely to follow in even shorter order!

dirtmother

I am wondering via what mechanism these 'I pay my employer back' people are managing to do that?