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

sunnyflower

I would have no qualms about keeping it, after all it's me who was inconvenienced.

Emmia

dirtmother said:

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

Your employer will have bank account details to enable this. I had to repay part of an employer provided cash advance that was unused once - I asked for the banking details, they provided them and I made the payment.

Emmia

helene4266 said:

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 these days no-one is fired ‘in short irder’ unless they are a poor employer as the risk of a tribunal claim is likely to follow in even shorter order!

Then what is the answer that you'd give to someone who asked the question?

Jodo

LadyBee_2 said:

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

Yes it sounds very familiar!

Bogtrotter1

Of course you should claim and keep the money. Your journey took longer than it should and that was your time that was wasted. The repayment will be a very poor return on your time.

Bridol

Personally I would class that as stealing. Work paid, ticket refunded, work should be refunded. You have not paid so why should you get to keep the refund.
Some have suggested its compensation for your loss of time however when I travelled for work I was on works time and I got paid, if there was a delay I got paid for a longer time, or could claim back the hours another time. If that is not your agreement then maybe time for you to renegotiate that. If you are travelling on your own time then maybe that could be a valid argument for being compensated for the loss of your time. But maybe you should query that so you dont get in trouble if they do find out

IvonH

I think it depends on whether is was your time that was wasted or your employer's.  Were the delays during working hours / work trips or were they on the way to work in your own time?  If it's your time which has been wasted, I think the money is compensation for that.  If the employer's time was wasted, the employer should get the money.  That's my take on it.

kathill55

Is everyone here really that much more saintly? It never once occurred to me to give this money (my compensation after all) to my employer. I lost out on the time and stress of being late, they did not. 

keithyno.1

kathill55 said:

Is everyone here really that much more saintly? It never once occurred to me to give this money (my compensation after all) to my employer. I lost out on the time and stress of being late, they did not. 

I know what you mean about some people being 'holier-than-thou' saintly figures on here. In the responses up to now, one person has claimed the poster would be committing fraud if they didn't pass on the refund to their employer, another states that it would be stealing i.e. theft.

Fraud and theft...both are criminal offences. Now could you imagine if the employer went to the police stating they'd like to report a theft or an act of fraud by the employee because they'd not passed on the rail refunds, and wished for them to be investigated and charged? The employer would get laughed at, all the way out of the police station!

Emmia

keithyno.1 said:

kathill55 said:

Is everyone here really that much more saintly? It never once occurred to me to give this money (my compensation after all) to my employer. I lost out on the time and stress of being late, they did not. 

I know what you mean about some people being 'holier-than-thou' saintly figures on here. In the responses up to now, one person has claimed the poster would be committing fraud if they didn't pass on the refund to their employer, another states that it would be stealing i.e. theft.

Fraud and theft...both criminal offences. Now could you imagine if the employer went to the police stating they'd like to report a theft or an act of fraud by the employee because they'd not passed on the rail refunds, and wished for them to be investigated and charged? The employer would get laughed at, all the way out of the police station!

It's a personal opinion, but I do consider it fraud/theft. I would think less of colleagues who did it. I wouldn't expect police involvement, I would expect the employer to act - disciplinary action?

Perhaps I'm too honest?