To report my ex boss?

[BuggerShitBugger]

I’ve recently left my role supporting a senior person in finance. When he started in the role around 4 months ago, he wrongly assumed we had onsite parking. He asked me to see if the company would lease him a spot, they said no.

Once he started he asked if he could expense his parking (circa £32 pd). HR said no twice, and ignored him the third time he asked.

At the end of the month, he sent me his expense receipts to process including his onsite parking ones. I replied and said for audit purposes has this now been approved, and he asked me who his claim would go to. His boss is in another country who may not be aware of Uk expense and tax rules. He said, ok put them through and I’ll speak to boss if needed. Bosses PA approved the claim without questions. This has continued for the last four ish months.

Expensing costs related to a permanent office is not only against the expense policy but also is taxable to the business. The business is not paying tax on these claims as they are unaware of them.

So AIBU to email the head of HR now I’ve left and tell them? Or should I just forget about it and move on?

Why didn't you raise it then if it is such a concern?

How would it benefit you to report, if you've already left the company?

Honestly because it would have been obvious it was me and I had to continue to work for the guy.
It would still be obvious it was me but now I have no ties to him anymore.

It wouldn’t, it made me really cross he was doing it while I was there so I’d be lying if I wouldn’t be pleased if he was stopped.

It unfair to every other employee that pays for their own travel.

For what purpose?

If I’ve read it right, the claims were approved by a boss who is based internationally and his PA who processed the claim. So they are the people at fault for not undertaking due diligence? Is that where you want to go with this?

Did you not have an exit interview? That would have been the time to raise it.

I know it's irritating OP but as you've left, just move on and try not to think about it again.

His bosses PA approved them on behalf of his boss.

No I didn’t.

Forget about it. There will be nothing but agro and faff if you follow this up.

I would. At the end of the day you knew it was wrong to process it. This will be discovered at some stage and I worry about the boss's PA getting in trouble. You should have never been put in that position but neither should you have put the boss's PA in that position.

I’d leave it then. Don’t let it occupy any headspace, and throw yourself into your new job. You won’t even remember this in a few months.

Couldn't you also be found at fault here for knowingly processing these claims?

No good can come of it now you've left.

Ignore it and move on

I think it was your job to refer to the expense policy in place and the advise that HR have given - his parking receipts should not have been processed or approved by you.

when he sent the receipts to you - you could have replied and referred to the response HR have already given, as well as the expense policy.

why did you reply and say they have been approved for audit purposes?

your boss sounds like a arse to work for, I agree, but you were at fault for continuing to go against policy and HR guidance.

I think it’s best you just walk away. Even if you raise the issue with your former employer, you wont ever know the outcome and can have no influence over it.

You were put in a difficult position by your ex boss. Don’t let it take up any more head space. Draw a line and move on.

It's a can of worms that no longer has anything to do with you and you will open it at your peril. You should know by now that "snitches" rarely get rewarded. I think you should crack on with your new job and your life. In 6 months time this will all be a distant memory.

Why on earth would you expend any energy on this? You've left that job, move on and focus on your next chapter. It's never a great idea to burn bridges professionally, and this one is definitely on the petty side to do that for. It's parking expenses, not defrauding the shareholders or breaking professional conduct rules.

You were part of this because you processed them, knowing he wasn’t allowed to do it. So no, I don’t think you should report it and I think you should get on with your life

I feel that by specifically asking him if he had approval and him replying with, just process it, I will deal with my boss was covering myself. I couldn’t really have done anymore. It was my job to process it for him if he told me to.

I didn’t approve them, I submitted them on behalf of him after double checking by email that he had approval. He didn’t but told me to do it anyway and he would deal with any come back.

Seems to consensus is move on which is most likely what I’ll do.

It was a thread yesterday that prompted me to post. Someone was dismissed for gross misconduct for some mileage claims made in error. This person isn’t submitting in error and as a senior financial person should be aware of the tax implications as well as the expense policy.

Honestly because it would have been obvious it was me and I had to continue to work for the guy. It would still be obvious it was me but now I have no ties to him anymore

Then let it go. You assessed at the time that your benefit of saying nothing was more important than the benefit to the company. Why do you care about the benefits to the company now. You also risk to be seen as a hypocrite rather than a saviour for only coming clean after leaving.

No I wouldn't raise it and I think you need to move on and stop giving it headspace! You just filled in the form as required - you were not approving them for payment; what can and can't be paid for is not up to you so I'd leave it.

Expensing a car parking space near your main place of work is not a taxable benefit, so there’s no tax implications of what he’s doing. It’s really on his boss for approving expenses outside of policy.