Partner has used Work Credit Card for Personal Expenses!

[Charcol]

Hes been called in for a disciplinary meeting to explain himself.

I have advised him to co-operate and tell the truth as best as poss. Its several transactions, including cash withdrawals. Although he has never tried to claim them as a business expense to recoup the money from work, and has paid the monies back after use.

However, the policy is no personal expenses!

What are the best options to avoid dismissal? Has anyone witnessed or seen similar scenarios? Advise would be much appreciated. thanks!

Who said he pays the bill himself?

You could argue that it is theft though, as he’s taken money (cash withdrawals etc) without consent. Yes, he has paid it back later, but until then, he has effectively stolen the money.

Using the cash register analogy, as soon as he has taken the money out of the till, then he has stolen the money.

I’ve been involved as Investigation Manager in a similar disciplinary case a few years back when a colleague was routinely using his work c/card for personal expenses - everything from food shopping/takeaways to a new carpet in carpet right! The issue was flagged as the balance wasn’t being cleared in full each month per the company policy, so there was automated notifications sent to their line manager and when they did some digging realised there was a bigger problem.

My investigation revealed it had been going on for over 6 months, starting with small amounts and a handful of transactions and always fully paid off, but escalated around the time he had a new baby. There were other issues with absence and poor performance and in the end he left for a new job before the inevitable could happen.

I’m also aware of someone who accidentally used their works card for something small, but paid it off immediately, notified his manager as soon as he realised and was just told to be more careful next time.

DH needs to check exactly what the company’s policy is relating to expenses and company card usage. If they have a zero tolerance stance I suspect the multiple occasions will only result in the worst case outcome. If they allow for some personal use provided there is no fraudulent claiming for these costs as business expenses then he may get away with a final written warning, especially if his previous performance and disciplinary record is clean.

It may also depend on the industry he works in (Financial Services type jobs like banking, insurance etc take a very hard line for obvious reasons) and the type and seniority of his role - is he a Finance Director with sign off to authorise significant monetary purchases?

I don't know much about the law, but I do know this isn't right. From the Theft Act 1968:

"A person is guilty of theft if he dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it"

Are you the op with a name change fail? How would you know this?

I quite often end up using my work credit card for small personal expenses by mistake - usually on the Uber app or when making a contactless payment with my phone. It's an easy mistake to make, and work don't appear to mind.

A cash withdrawal though is pretty hard to explain away.

The onus would be on the thief to prove he didn’t intend to keep it permanently.
Not asking permission would not work in their favour.

Cash withdrawals are a total no no.

Also even if he clears the balance every month (if that's how it works for OPs DH - it's hard to tell) it's still "borrowing" money that isn't there to be borrowed like that.

The biggest issue isn't even the financial one - it's the trust

It used to be when I had one that if you were on a business trip and ended up having to use it in an emergency (or only wanted to take one card), this was acceptable as long as when you're electronic statement came through you ticked the box for personal against each item. It was then deducted from any amount owed to us or from our salary.

I remember being in a freezing cold hotel in Amsterdam and going out and buying warm pyjamas and bed socks. I could probably have claimed them as a valid expense because the hotel was ridiculously cold... But I just ticked personal when the form came through.

You don’t know that. Our company credit cards are paid off directly by the business. His could be the same.

@Charcol Although he has never tried to claim them as a business expense to recoup the money from work, and has paid the monies back after use.

OP he has a pattern of using a work provided credit card for personal use including cash withdrawal. The company pays the credit card. He doesn't need to claim the transactions to recoup the funds from work. Corporate cards are automatically paid every month - so the company is paying for the transactions regardless of if they are personal or business.

If it is a repeated pattern with cash withdrawal, prepare for him to lose his job. A personal transaction quickly reimbursed and not repeated is usually excused. I have no idea why people carry their work credit cards when not at work, so that always annoys me when a "mistake" is made at the grocery store or petrol station. That aside, if it's been identified someone made repeated personal transactions, repayment time would be analysed. Cash is the red flag here - our cards do mot allow cash withdrawal but we know when it's been attempted. I'd be thinking he's been flagged, then monitored and has performed enough "accidents" to be dismissed for dishonest conduct.

Hi,

If someone is worrying for something wrong, I would be the first to try and say that it will be fine.

In this case, and as they are married, there is a very valid reason to be. She should be worried and act upon it. If he does that at work, he could do with her. If he can’t find another job because his rep got out of control… Hiring managers are going in same parties, for their awards in business…they drink and they talk…about a guy/girl that…fill in the blank. Doesn’t take long for someone to pick up it is the same person. People give chances but not foreever.

she came to ask because she wants to know how bad. You can read it as a twisting knife if you’d like. She needs to know still. “Oh it will be ok” when it won’t is not ok to say. Maybe, maybe, he will get away with it this time…but he won’t next time.

It’s in the op’s opening post. He has never tried to expense it to recoup the money from work but using it for personal reasons is still against policy.

Unfortunately my ex husband did similar, he was found out and faced disciplinary. The result being he was sacked from a very well paid job. It was also the start to a very unhappy marriage linked with problem after problem. He saw no wrong in anything he did and lied constantly. Hopefully op this is a one off but please be cautious. Obviously he knew what he was doing was wrong and he’s put the welfare and future of his family at risk. Just like my ex however he never learnt, the lies turned to other theft and then drink. I wish you luck.

I have my fingers crossed for you - if dismissed I'm assuming you'll have financial struggles, like most of us, which will add extra pressure on you. Keep us posted.

The op’s first post

It is in the opening post

Corporate credit cards are not necessarily paid by the company. Ours aren’t.

Is it?

I could be wrong, but if a corporate credit card, even if card policy states it is a personal liability, it will be guaranteed by the company and generally does not affect personal credit scores. This means that if a corporate card holder doesn't pay off their statements in full each month that the interest charged is the card holders personal liability. They cannot reclaim the interest charged in expenses unless for some reason it was the company's fault in delaying repayment of legitimate expenses.

For these type of cards, policy is still for 'business use only' for a reason. Whilst the card holder may think it is not fraud to occasionally charge personal items and then pay them back - it depends - are they open and honest and quick to resolve on the very odd occasion it happens? If not, they are essentially borrowing against the company's credit rating which is against policy at least. And if there is any obscuring/delay in paying off the card then again, that is a step further.

If the Op, or their partner, is in financial difficulties due to anything, but especially gambling, do seek help.

At the moment they are gambling with their job and reputation, even if they aren't directly gambling on the card. It really isn't worth it. It is an addiction and must be hard, it certainly can ruin lives very quickly, so time is of the essence. Please seek help.

The way ours works is they all populate the expenses system, but you can categorise some of it as personal (eg if you buying something for work and realised you’d left a personal item in with them - this would be expected to be a much smaller value than the total business transaction). So you aren’t claiming the personal items as expenses - and these then get deducted from either wages or from any expenses that would be paid to you if you used a personal payment method. That could be what the OP meant, just as easily as the way you’ve interpreted it. If you didn’t take any action, the credit card would be paid by the business.

Like others have said, once is a mistake, multiple times is definitely not a mistake and why would he be withdrawing cash on a credit card? Also you say he has paid it back, how? How do you pay back the money into a credit card that you do not own? This makes no sense. I think he is very likely to be dismissed for gross conduct. Sorry OP.

I've never known anyone to come back from this. A dismissal meeting is as it says. To be dismissed.

I asked my DH and he reeled off 5 cases of pretty senior (and coincidentally all male) employees who were fired for using the corporate card in the last 5 years. Didn’t matter that they could/planned too/did pay them off - it was against corporate policy and they sign an agreement that the understand the rules when they accept it. One of them did use it in a strip club on a business trip though, so can sort of see why that one was an instant dismissal!

I have seen all sorts working in accounts from them being used for the weekly shop to one director paying a deposit for his mistress face lift....