DH not claiming work expenses

[Indiaplain]

DH is a teacher and has just returned from a school trip abroad. He spent around £200 on meals and travel for himself that weren't included (they were in Switzerland so v pricey!)

He says that as teachers they're expected to pay this and he won't ask about claiming back expenses. I think perhaps the lead trip organiser (his boss) should have included the teachers expenses in the pupils costs but didn't. He doesn't want to get her in trouble and won't try to get reimbursed.

This financially puts us in our overdraft this month and I'm annoyed as it's not usual or right - imo - that teachers should suck up this cost? AIBU to feel annoyed?

How is he going to clear the overdraft OP?

Of course all this assumes that they were legitimate expenses. It's most likely he doesn't want to ask because he knows he spent too much on things that weren't necessary.

What was the "work trip" for? Spot of skiing over half term ....hardly educational so as a parent I'd expect if I'm paying extra on my child's costs to cover a teacher also going that they also take their own spending money to cover their own lunches etc - especially if those costs weren't Included in the kids costs either and they were having to pay on the day for them

I'd expect to pay enough for my child's ski trip that it covered the teachers expenses. It's not a 'jolly', it's a massive responsibility to take other peoples children abroad. What difference does in make if it's educational or not, the teachers are still at work, and on duty 24/7. No teacher should be out of pocket on a trip. I think there should be an allowance for teachers to get a paid lunch, covered by the cost of the trip, even if the children have to buy their own.

As a cub leader we go camping, or to a PGL type residential, and all our meals are covered. But if we go on a day trip to a theme park etc, we bring our own packed lunch. The problem with a week long trip abroad is that teachers can't really make a packed lunch each day if staying in a hotel. So there should be an allowance to cover a basic lunch. If they choose to spend more than the allowance, then that's on them

We’re a through school so I suppose I’m thinking of it as there being many school trips over a year and if everyone claimed expenses it wouldn’t be sustainable. In an emergency maybe I could claim, but it reality people don’t , doesn’t make it right I guess, which feeds into what you were saying about teachers bringing it on themselves.
Im really just reflecting on what happens here . Which isn’t nonsense, it’s how it is.
I don’t work Thursdays in case anyone’s wondering 🤣

He needs to say no to these trips. If 200 puts you in over draft he can’t afford it. It’s that simple, I understand he gets a trip abroad for 200 quid, so for him it’s a small price , yes he’s working but it’s a jolly also and somewhere he clearly couldn’t afford to go independently. In future be very clear with him, you can’t afford it so he can’t go.

Thanks all - lots of useful insights here. In answer to PP's questions, it was a science trip to visit CERN. Defo not a jolly, as lots of students to be responsible for and logistics to organise. I dont think he would need to claim back the full £200, some was on treats and coffees etc. It is more the trams rides and the lunches that he had to pay for that seems wrong. Lesson learned anyway - pretty sure he will be trying to get out of undertaking this trip again next year.

Is it not though with teachers that you volunteer or agree to go, rather than have no option? Is this not the difference?

Is it not though with teachers that you volunteer or agree to go, rather than have no option? Is this not the difference?

Teachers still shouldn't be out of pocket though, even if they volunteer to go. If they didn't volunteer, then the children would miss out.

Absolutely not. Switzerland in my organisation is the country where you can claim the most. £20 gets you lunch from a supermarket but nothing else.

What kind of school do you work in? Because I have never worked in one, over for decades of teaching, that would pay out for this or any other similar expense, if not agreed beforehand. Especially not £200! That was my entire year's budget for my (core) subject.

The only expenses I've ever been able to claim were for petrol for visiting other schools, or going on courses.

I've worked in three different schools, a primary, a secondary and a PRU, all maintained. In none of them, as Business Manager, did I expect staff to be out of pocket for business expenses. I tried very hard to educate them to plan things properly and include all costs, but mistakes happen and if they were genuine expenses, I'd still have paid. They'd have had to come and tell me what went wrong and how they managed to spend so much, which I understand would put some off, but I never deliberately made it difficult. From OP's follow up it's clear the actual expenses are not as much as £200 though.

In the PRU we actually had plenty of cash that need spending, but the first assumption of staff was still that they needed to save money all the time and didn't want to ask for resources, claim expenses etc.

Of course lunches should be covered.

£200 is ridiculous but he shouldn’t be out of pocket for basic expenses like travel and a meal allowance. It’s not ok for him to have to pay all that for work! It’s unacceptable.

Not sure why people think coffee and ice-cream is a luxury. Isn't it normal to get a per diem for incidental items?

Imagine if he had bill his hourly rate for all that time being responsible for the kids.

I kind of agree this is bad management. Surely a trip / activity / whatever should be properly costed. If there is no budget/ no one will pay, don't do the activity.

But presumably this is at a reasonable cost, and also he has the option to bring sandwiches from home.

When away on a trip, staying in a hotel, teachers have no choice but to buy lunch out if it's not included in the trip. This will cost way more than a packed lunch or school dinner, especially in a country such as Switzerland. Why should a teacher be that much out of pocket for the privilege of taking other peoples children on a trip? There should be an allowance to cover a basic lunch.

Do you really not see the difference between eating lunch at school (where you can either get a free meal or bring a sandwich) and having to buy lunch in supermarkets or from cafes everyday else you don't eat?

I’m not sure, plenty will happy spend 200 quid to get a cheap trip to an overseas destination. They get to experience it like the kids . Obviously getting to Switzerland and his accommodation was paid for.

I’m not sure, plenty will happy spend 200 quid to get a cheap trip to an overseas destination. They get to experience it like the kids . Obviously getting to Switzerland and his accommodation was paid for

Maybe that's true, but why should they have to? Sometimes I'm out of pocket as a cub leader, because I might buy things that the cubs need, but not get a receipt, or not claim for petrol etc (not really a thing with our group, although I appreciate some do). But I'm fortunate enough that the odd small expense doesn't really cause me a problem. But I don't think that anyone should be prevented from volunteering for something like a school trip because of the cost. £200 is quite a lot to spend for the privilege of looking after someone else's children. Some teachers may not be in the position to spend that, so that means they can't volunteer? That's not fair. And it's bloody hard work, even if it is an interesting trip. It's nothing like going away on your own, or with your own family.

Well no it’s not, and of it was you’d be paying your own flights and accommodation, plus he clearly had a lot paid, from breakfasts and dinners etc,

Well no it’s not, and of it was you’d be paying your own flights and accommodation, plus he clearly had a lot paid, from breakfasts and dinners etc

He should have it all paid. Of course, not some of the non-essential extras, ie coffee/ice-creams etc, but all meals and activity costs should be covered.

Why should a teacher/volunteer be out of pocket? It's not a holiday, it's work. If a business person goes away for business, all essentials are usually covered. All basics for the teachers (flights, accommodation, 3 meals a day, activities) should be covered by the cost that the parents pay.

What kind of catering was provided for the children at lunchtime? Was he supposed to have that but chose not to?

It's a bit of a grey area sometimes, depending on how the trip is organised. I took an exchange group to Germany for a week. I was hosted by a teacher (and host them in return when they are here). But over the weekend I chose to go into the city to go shopping and eat out. I didn't charge that meal to school. Nor did I charge the school when I chose to buy food rather than take a packed lunch provided by my hosts when we were out on excursions with the kids.