To have claimed this as an expense?

I don't think she gets this though.

I get it. It's a mindset that is difficult to break out of. Like, you're feeling ill enough to need to go home but you know you can make it on the train and taking a taxi at someone else's expense seems like you're abusing their goodwill somehow.

Obviously the corporate world just doesn't work like that at all, and you need to get into the mindset of complying with policy rather than worrying about saving some faceless entity money. But it doesn't come naturally to all of us.

It's not unreasonable of the OP to think, "If I can save the company money by taking the train, I should do that."

Them saying "would you like us to book you a taxi" sounds like they just wanted to make sure you had a way of getting home safely.

if they thought you would pay for it, they should have made it very clear at the time. That's a lot for you to have to pay for.

otherwise they're absolute cheapskates and I'd think differently about them as an employer after that,

I don’t think people are being harsh more just explaining.
So in my workplace the taxi would have gone through on an account like someone said above was for sickness/travel/emergency. It would pass through sign off no problem.

Someone submitting a train ticket for their usual journey home would flag to our finance as they wouldn’t know any background, it wasn’t work travel etc. So questions would be asked. It would most likely be allowed as a one off and the policy explained. Or worst case denied. It would never be classed as stealing.

But if she knew they were paying, then it shouldn't have been a concern. As others have said, many companies have regular bookings with taxi firms and get a preferential rate.
Also as she made her own way home by train, this negates the need for being offered a form of transport. If they knew she was going to do this, surely they would simply have said to go home early. To me the reason they offered the taxi was out of concern, so by refusing this suggests she was fine to arrange her own transport and no longer a welfare concern.

I voted yanbu but after reading this i actually I agree with this comment you took the responsibility from them and showed you where ok

How would you have normally got home that day ?

I think people are being quite harsh on this thread.

The OP is clearly quite money conscious because she doesn't have much of it herself and felt uncomfortable about costing the company a £100 taxi home, so she took a cheaper mode of transport.

Obviously next time she'll know just to take whatever is on offer and not quibble, but it's pretty shitty of the company to effectively penalise her for trying to save them money.

Her manager should sort this out.

I’m a workplace first-aider. If someone has been ill in the office I have an account I can use to cab them home. If they decline then however they get there is on them, I wouldn’t pay for it.

This was def wrong. They offered to pay for a taxi. They weren’t giving you a travel expense to get home by your usual journey.

whether it’s better or worse value is irrelevant because expenses are always policy led. Your policy won’t allow this.

If you’re sick enough to need a taxi home, work should pay. If you’re well enough to get a train home, and it’s a usual route, then it’s your cost to pay.

I agree with this. You absolved them of the duty of care so they may not pays

I used to book taxis for my place of work for colleagues travelling or sick. We didn’t pay the standard rate as we had a deal with the taxi company. Also, if this had happened with me - and you said no taxi and you submitted an expense for the train, it would go to someone else who probably wouldn’t have a a clue!

I'm on the fence about the duty of care argument. You might have relieved them of their duty of care by being well enough to take the train. You should have just taken the taxi.

They offered you a taxi in case you weren't able for the train. They didn't offer you a train fair.

The problem with this logic is that really it is you who should have had the conversation first, before you submitted anything.

You raised it formally, so it now has to be dealt with formally.

Just say 'Barbara offered me a taxi on the company, but conscious of the cost at around £100, I elected to use the train to try and save the company money. So I'm a bit confused that my expense request had been questioned by senior management.'

Was the incident the fault of your employer?

Your question is a little unclear re YABU v YANBU. However, I voted YABU because I read it as you’re being unreasonable to worry about it as your manager appeared to offer to book a taxi for you. A simple conversation should sort this out. Good luck 🍀

You were offered a taxi as you were too upset to travel alone on public transport. You then took it upon yourself to get public transport as you felt ok enough to get your usual transport home. Therefore the train ticket is your responsibility to pay.
Just apologise for the mixup and withdraw the expense claim.

How have they treated it as if you were stealing from the company? Surely they have just denied your expenses claim.

I agree with this.

By not taking them up on their offer of booking and paying for a taxi for you I think they have discharged their duty of care. You arranged your own transport home which is what you would normally need to do anyway.

I think what was offered and what you did were 2 very different things.
If I were to send an employee home in a taxi it would be because they were unwell/distressed/need to get home quickly and safely. We have an account with a taxi firm, it’s an easy sign off and I know they get home ok.

If an employee was upset and I offered them a taxi home and they said it was ok they would get the train - their normal mode of transport I would think they were ok getting themselves home but would be leaving early. I would them be surprised at getting an expenses claim for their train ticket.

It’s similar if we send an employee to hospital - there and back in a taxi we cover. If they decide to go there or home any other way that’s on them.

I don’t think you should have submitted your train ticket without further discussion.

What is your manager saying about this?

How do you normally travel from work?