#CompanyFees #AccountingIssues #LateFee #LegalRights
Are you feeling frustrated and unfairly burdened by a multi-billion dollar company making you pay for a fee they were responsible for? It’s a common issue that many employees face when dealing with corporate expenses and accounting departments. But fear not, as there are steps you can take to address this situation and protect your rights as an employee.
In the case of the HR Specialist who was given a company AMEX for recruitment expenses, it seems that there has been a miscommunication and mishandling of the expense report process. Let’s break down the key points of this situation and explore possible solutions.
The Expenses
The initial issue arose when the HR Specialist was instructed to make purchases for a large hiring event using the company card. These purchases included snacks, balloons, and other necessary items for the event. The expenses were made in a timely manner, and the HR Specialist submitted the expense report promptly after receiving the statement.
The Rejection and Late Fee
Despite the HR Specialist’s prompt submission of the expense report, it was repeatedly auto-denied by the accounting system. This resulted in a $40 late fee being imposed on the HR Specialist, despite her following the correct procedures and obtaining approval from her manager.
Legal Rights
Now, the question remains: is it legal for the accounting team to insist that the HR Specialist must pay the late fee out of her own pocket? The HR Specialist has a valid paper trail showing her compliance with company policies and procedures, yet she is being held accountable for a fee that was incurred due to the accounting team’s repeated denials.
Legal Actions
In situations like these, it’s important to consider seeking legal counsel to understand your rights as an employee. Here are some potential legal routes the HR Specialist could explore:
1. Employment Law: Consult with an employment lawyer to assess the situation and determine if the company’s actions constitute a violation of employment laws. The lawyer can provide guidance on how to proceed and protect the HR Specialist’s rights.
2. Documentation: Continue to keep detailed records of all communications and actions related to the expense report issue. This documentation will be crucial in building a case to support the HR Specialist’s position.
3. Company Policies: Review the company’s policies and procedures regarding expense reports and late fees. If the company is not adhering to its own guidelines, the HR Specialist may have grounds to challenge the decision to make her responsible for the late fee.
4. Open Communication: Engage in open and constructive communication with the accounting team, HR department, and management to express the unfairness of the situation and seek resolution.
Conclusion
It’s evident that the HR Specialist is facing an unjust burden in being held responsible for a late fee that was incurred due to the company’s internal issues. By seeking legal counsel, maintaining thorough documentation, and engaging in open communication, the HR Specialist can pursue a fair resolution to this matter and protect her rights as an employee.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, remember that you have the right to advocate for fair treatment and seek legal guidance to address any concerns. Don’t hesitate to take action to ensure that you are not unfairly burdened by the actions of a company, regardless of its size or financial standing.
I am not a lawyer, so from a legal route perspective, maybe, maybe not. But $40 is not something to go the legal route for. Your manager should be going to bat for you and escalating it with the accounting department’s management. Before you threaten legal action you need to press your manager to get involved and fix this and if they can’t then they need to escalate up to their boss and so on.
I wouldn’t take a legal route but escalate internally. Unless you failed to follow their policy like not submitting the receipt , they should be on the hook, but another expense report might be required.
IANAL but for 40$ don’t take legal action, you will jeopardize your employment. Pay the fees now, and make a claim worth 40$, it can be business lunch etc anything, or escalate to accounting team head and at max till CFO. You would get a resolution.
Edit: when I say make a claim, make a legitimate one. All companies have different heads under which claims can be made like internet, cell phone, mileage etc. Check with your manager so that you can make a claim to make yourself whole. But first go through the route of escalating.
Where is your manager in this? They should be running interference for you. Have they even said why is was denied 3 times? Sounds like a user or computer algorithm glitch.
As someone in a large corporation, just go up the ladder. Sometimes you just have to talk to a VP to get it fixed
It sounds like they’re technically a vendor of your company which means someone at your company is managing them and has authority over them. If you can’t figure out who it is, procurement might be a good place to start. Also, if you work for a multi-million dollar company, I bet your side has its own legal department and they’re usually pretty cool to approach about issues as they want laws followed to limit any and all company liability. Don’t bring up anything that can be construed as an accusation against your company as you don’t want to put them on the defense. Instead, ask them if what the vendor is doing is legal. Before you do any of that though, get with your manager and see if they would be willing to bring this issue up with either department on your behalf.
Edit: if all else fails, would you feel comfortable telling your manager you no longer want the responsibility of the AMEX and would prefer having them pre-approve purchases and use theirs or with having the company establish charge accounts with vendors/have invoices sent to accounting?
At the end of the day, you want to remind the people you’re bringing this up to at your company that an outside vendor is treating you, their client, unprofessionally. This is not a ‘you vs. accounting’ thing, it is a ‘client being overcharged for a vendor’s mistake’ thing.
From this it seems you did nothing wrong. If there was no change in your submission, you are in the right. Ask your manager to vouch for you on this. Keep escalating. Someone up the chain will be passed off enough at how this is common sense and should not have reached their desk.
Pay the $40 and expense it? That’s what I would ask my employee to do just to save the headache.
Escalate! Your boss needs to escalate it as well to there boss.
Im concerned that as an HR specialist that you are unaware of how to manage this. As an employee, with a company credit card, you are not liable for any costs to that card! Unless your proven to misuse the card! Regardless, if it has been signed off, then its no longer in your hands and all direct conversations surrounding the purchase needs to be directed to your manager.