AIBU to keep work's refund?

[Tartle]

So I've been oop north for a training session today, train and expenses all paid for by work. Due to a fatality on the line at Watford earlier today the train is running about 90 mins late and I am whiling away my time drinking rubbish overpriced train wine and filling in the delay repay form on the virgin trains website.

So here is my question. Work obviously bought my ticket so if I get the cost refunded should I pay it back because it was their money or AIBU to pocket the cash as compensation because it's me that been on the sodding train for 4 sodding hours?

I still have to be at work tomorrow at 8 am so not feeling like I owe them that much right now.

If you haven't done it already, declare it to work and let them decide. Where I work integrity is made a big deal of and often people are sacked less because of the initial issue, but more because they didn't declare or 'fess up to the initial issue.

So, if you're ooop North or daaan saarf you can be offended by that, but what about the Midlands - I want a term I can be professionally offended by. In fact, I'm taking offense that there isn't an offensive term that has been mentioned on this thread yet for me to take offense to!! 😄

Ooooh, yes, totally agree as a fellow Midlander. I can get offended by being asked if I'm from Ooop North when I'm in the Saarf, or asked if I'm from daaaan Saarf when I go Oooop North.

Did you end up working more than your contracted hours that day?
If no, then it's not an inconvenience as you're supposed to be on company time

If you ended up working longer than normal hours then ask for overtime payment and return the ticket refund to your employers

Honesty always best policy

You were the one put out so it’s your compensation

It doesn’t matter who had the shitty journey. Work paid the money out, the conpensation should therefore go back to them.

If you keep it without their knowledge, you are stealing and proving yourself to be an untrustworthy employee, which would be even worse if they were to put in a claim themselves only to be told they’d already paid out on it!

*The refund is for the delay which inconvenienced you.

It's a grey area if had happened to you on the way to the training and therefore missed some of it, but it seems you were delayed on the way home so I'd say the comp is all yours.*
I disagree, I think the money should go back to the employer, and that as soon as you give your details for a cheque or PayPal refund you are actively taking money which would normally be returned to the payer.
Your extra time and any food you need to buy because you're delayed, should certainly be paid for by your employer. The delay and inconvenience occurred while you were working, so they should reimburse you for that.
It may well cost your employer more to pay for your time, than the refund but if I were you I"d do it by the book, and pass the refund on, feeling that you were entitled will be little consolation if u lose your job over it

I don’t really understand the term ‘oop north.’

I’m from Lancashire and I’d use a flat ‘u’ for the word up, as in cup. People from Yorkshire, Cumbria and the north east would also use the flat ‘u’.

So where does the ‘oo’ bit come from? Is it oo as in shook, or oo as in spook?

Oh, and I’d keep the money OP

RIP to the person the person who died. My thoughts are also with the train driver & staff who had to sort out the aftermath. Why don’t you donate the money to Mind?

Sorry off topic but are people being serious that saying oop north or daaaan sarf are offensive
Not offensive but just as ridiculous as people using the word ' naice'. The freaks.

Seriously can’t believe someone is offended by ‘oop north’. I’m from yorkshire and always refer to myself as being from ‘oop north’. Stop being a baby, you’re giving the rest of us a bad name!!!

** Sorry I did the annoying thing where the OP runs away. Stupidly busy days at work yesterday and today so I am definitely glad it's Friday! This might be a bit epic as I try to address the main points that have come up.

I don’t get it. Why inconvenience yourself to save them money. But then ask whether it’s ok to keep money from them?

Well it's my budget which I have to deliver on target. The cost of training and travel was budgeted for but the difference between a peak and off peak ticket was nearly £100. It wasn't too much hardship to wait a couple of hours for an off peak train and save a bit of money for work although I knew I wouldn't be back until gone 10.

Work expected to pay and has paid a reasonable rate for my travel. I wouldn't normally claim time for train/plane travel in the evening although we do claim for travel time at weekends.

I get this All.The. Time. No official policy at work, so I think it’s: delays on outbound journey, so you miss meeting? Work is inconvenienced so refund goes to them. Delays on return, you are inconvenienced, so you keep the refund.

That was my inclination and if one of my team asked me that would be the answer I would have given. Especially if expenses are incurred for traveling to meeting via an alternative route.

I wasn't given the option to have it refunded to the card I paid on, just cheque, PayPal or vouchers. If I had booked a specified service rather than an open return though the money would have be automatically refunded to the work payment card.

Virgin website describes it as both compensation and a repay so as clear as mud there www.virgintrains.co.uk/delayrepay

I checked with my manager at work today and we have no official policy but he generally agreed re it being compensation. Told me to check with the finance team. To be honest this is probably something where it falls at least partially within my remit to set/guide the setting of policy (expenses policy set by finance but i am involved quite heavily for operational reasons) that is partially why I wanted to take this very unscientific survey of what most people think is reasonable.

Im sorry if the original post was a bit flippant. I was rather tipsy and the reason for the delay probably wasn't relevant or helpful. I like the idea of donating to the Samaritans or similar and tbh if that had been an option (and I knew was my money not works) I would have done that.

I make no apologies for the oop north though!

Ugh bold fail.

Please, people! Stop writing 'infers' when you mean 'implies'! (And yes, I believe that it is offensive to say 'oop north' and 'dahn sarf' - it is unacceptable stereotyping masked as 'just a bit of fun'.)

Calm down MadameDickweed

My work has a policy on this, the traveler keeps it as it is compensation for the person inconvenienced, can you check if yours does?

I'd only give work the money back if your time is repaid as time off in lieu or overtime.

Just read your last update sorry. I think regardless of which way the travel is if a train is cancelled the person who then had to hang around at the station for ages should get the money. The company were willing to pay that for travel it's already been paid you will still be travelling.

Myself and 3 colleagues had a long haul flight delayed for 12 hours, we received £500 compensation each from the airline, it didn't even cross our mind to ask the company if we could keep it.
I was the one inconvenienced not the company.

@Viviennemary so it's ok for you to imply being called an Essex girl is an insult, what's wrong with Essex? From an educated, successful, completely non-stereotypical Essex girl. If you've ever actually been here you'll realise that TOWIE is not an accurate portrayal of the county, so I have no issue with that term at all. The only thing I might query is the accuracy of calling a grown adult a girl.

If it was going back to the company then why would you bother claiming it at all? They weren't inconvenienced, and no one is going to give you a good star.

And it is the Oop part that is irritating. Why not just say Up North? No one I know says a ridiculously exaggerated 'oop'

It's compensation so it's your money.