I have fucked up

[Royallyscrewed]

NC for this post- not an aibu more a wwyd.

I have a corporate card for work travel expenses and a few weeks back I linked it to my phone to use tap in and out tickets On a trip to London. I’ve just gone to pay my bill (we pay the balance of the card each month and then claim expenses back via our work online finance system) and literally everything I’ve paid by Apple Pay or online through my phone has gone onto my corporate card. It’s gross misconduct to use it inappropriately and immediate suspension. This was a genuine mistake and I cleared the card straight away but I don’t know how to confess to my manager. For context she’s always on at me about my expenses because I quite often miss the cut off date and am pretty disorganised with them. I’m absolutely shitting myself. Any advice on how to come clean?

How'd it go?

@BrassTactical just shows how easy it is to do!!

I don't mind mistakes like that and they are easy to explain. What I mind is blatant misuse of card to buy expensive boozy lunches or gifts for colleagues. Rant over

How did you get on OP?

Ha @Sleepyquest I feel your pain, we’ve just had a ridiculous new expenses policy but they’ve been driven to it by insanely ludicrous piss taking claims. Like 2 years worth of 20p train station wee’s

@BrassTactical so literally piss taking claims 😂😂😂 that is pretty pathetic!

How did the chat with your boss go? I hope it is all sorted now.

Any update @Royallyscrewed

What happened?

No real update sorry- my boss gave me a bollocking and has referred the issue to hr and finance. She’s said a written warning is likely at the least.

Are you in a union? Please contact them for advice.

A written warning would be suitable if they noticed and pulled you up but you noticed and advised them of it so no integrity issue. Agree if you are in a union speak to them.

Wow - the fact that they'd give you a bollocking and a written warning for such a simple and easily resolved problem speaks volumes. I would be looking for a new job.

Your boss sounds like a dick

I suspect the written warning has something to do with the op otherwise handling her expense claims badly (she said in a previous post that her boss had to chase her). together, that doesn’t look good

For context she’s always on at me about my expenses because I quite often miss the cut off date and am pretty disorganised with them.

This is in the op’s first post. I would imagine that this incident was the final straw.

Just to explain as posters keep mentioning them. When I mentioned previous expenses there wasn’t any discrepancies ever and they weren’t late. The issue is that there needs to be a cost centre attached to different functions and details about what each is for entered on the system. Bosses gripe was that my information wasn’t detailed enough ie meeting in Cardiff instead of meeting with x in Cardiff about y. She sees it as an issue with organisation to not be detailed. In reality this is the first role I’ve needed to do it in and it’s a steep learning curve especially as I’m covering 2 other people’s roles and travelling for all, all of which need claiming differently detail wise. I accept that I fucked up with the card but I’m not dishonest and have never fudged my expenses in the slightest- the guilt alone would eat me.

Edit* weren’t horrifically late

That's rubbish you are likely to get a warning

Some expenses systems are far more user friendly than others.

Op have you thought about contacting HR yourself? Explain how it happened and that once you realised the error that you payed it off straight away and told your boss at the earliest opportunity. Say you are very concerned and that it was a genuine mistake. For all you know your boss might not have even told them you informed them. Your boss sound horrible, making you stew over the weekend like that is a really low move. Ultimately I would be looking for a new job as these do not sound like nice people to work for.

OP, how did you get on?

Where I work this would result in a bollocking from the boss, expenses are one of his favourite battle grounds and he also likes to make an example of people. As they've told you a written warning is a possibility and HR has been informed I would take the bull by the horns and go to them myself. As you've said you're fairly new and it was a genuine mistake, there shouldn't be anything to worry about, unless your boss wants it that way. Dealing with the allocation of funds and records for a misused card can be a bit messy (even though you've cleared it). It depends on the finance system being used. We have a code specifically for this scenario - simply because it happens a lot, despite best intentions, shouty boss etc. We also have to apply cost centres and codes and detail (that no one ever looks at again in any meaningful way) but it's just the way it is.

Don't go into any meetings without union representation or at the very least a trustworthy colleague who will take minutes for you. Ask to see the company Disciplinary procedures to ensure they're following them correctly.

If it goes to a disciplinary situation I think your mitigation should be:

1. It’s a first offence
2. You realised the error and didn’t try to hide it
3. No one had made you aware of the consequences of making a mistake
4. There has been no loss and all repayed

It also never hurts to say how genuinely sorry you are, how seriously you take it and it will never happen again.

If you're getting a written warning then I suspect you've been verbally told more than once about your failure to submit them on time and not completing them fully. Admin such as expenses is a necessary part of the job - everyone has to do it and there's a reason why they require detail and have deadlines. You're no different to everyone else.

The title of your post suggested that you knew you were skating on thin ice with this.

I would go to HR, apologise, and do what you can to avoid getting the written warning.