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!

How does he "pay it back after use"? At my work to take cash using the card would send flags everywhere and to pay them back would be a real faff - you can't just quietly put the money back.

Lots of examples on this thread of accidental use but these are things like it being in a digital wallet. No one is withdrawing cash by accident.

Not good.
Dd accidentally left company cc attached to her Amazon account after ordering Christmas products for work.
When she put her own order in Amazon took the money from the work card and dd stewed all weekend until she could ‘report’ herself.
Fortunately her manager just laughed and dd reimbursed the money straight away.

Your dp seems to have been using the card as an overdraf.

Was there interest charged on cash withdrawals? Are they looking at his expenses claims too? It is a form of fraud to misuse a company cc and could lead to dismissal especially in a position of trust or financial context. If the latter and he is dismissed it could have further repercussions.

I would be surprised if he is not sacked for gross misconduct.

This is not a one-off mistake, he purposely used the card and withdrew cash with it.

What did he use the money for? because if I were you I would also be suspicious as to why he needed that money bad enough to steal from his employer...

Was he in an emergency? Stranded with no personal card and needed a taxi somewhere and they wouldn’t take card so he had to get cash out?

Otherwise, apologise profusely and explain that he’s done it before and repaid with no issues, so he didn’t appreciate the strictness of the company policy, and now he does he definitely won’t do it again.

Sorry for being so candid.

If he is in financial difficulty he has to be:

Honest with himself.
Honest to you.
Have a honest look at his income and outgoings.
Work out a budget to try to sort his financial situation out.

Be honest with his employers.
Apologise to them.
Mention his plan for the future and ask them to support and help him with it - until he is back on a good financial footing again.

Promise to and never repeat this bad behaviour.
Perhaps ask for a pay rise
If he has the time and inclination try to increase his income and/or decrease his casual spending.

In my humble opinion - if he doesn't change some fundamental thought patterns and behaviours - he will do it again in any job he has.

As you know, it is just not good - and is effectively theft.

(Reminds me of the dishonest and entitled behaviour of the late Captain Sir Tom Moore's daughter).

He needs to change his total mindset.

That’s what l thought?

Cash withdrawals on a CC cost a lot in interest - has he been paying back the full amount?

Not that it matters really it is a clear misuse of company money and so gross misconduct.

Sorry OP but I think he's likely to lose his job.

If it was a one off, accidental thing or a one off and he came clean straight away, I’d say try not to worry-it’s an honest mistake or a one off and he’ll probably just get his knuckles rapped.
However, this sounds like systematic, intentional abuse of a company card. Whether or not he paid it back is irrelevant in that sense-and cash withdrawals have trailing interest on following statements, so I doubt he’s paid back enough each time, as he’d have no access to statements to see what interest has been charged.
Im not going to lie OP, he’s at real risk here, mainly because it’s been a recurrent action. His best option is to profusely apologise, give his reasons as best he can and hope that previous to this he had an exemplary employment record and that they take that into account.

I'd be planning to become a single income household.

This is gross misconduct. There's no coming back from it.

I once ordered a grocery shop with my work CC as the last transaction on my Waitrose online account had been for catering supplies for a work event. I told them, paid it back and there was no problem as it was clearly a mistake.

To be frank with you, I don't think your partner will be able to avoid dismissal - a one off can be easily forgiven, or even multiple transactions if you accidentally used it on Apple or Google pay, but the withdrawing of the cash is really damning, so unfortunately I think there is no wriggling out of this for him.

In addition to the probable job loss, I’d want to know what he was spending the cash on.

As withdrawing money in cash on a credit card you can’t see screams shady behaviour you’d like to keep secret from the family finances.

You are only going to use a credit card to take out cash if you have no cash in your current account. Normally there is a separate interest charge for that.

I would look at your finances and try and work out if this does a lot deeper.

Regarding work, that’s out of his and your control. Depends on company policy and how long he has been with them.

I think the taking out cash might be a bigger issue than a few transactions. They have trusted him with company money and he has abused it i'm afraid.

If he is found to have committed gross misconduct it will be dismissal. Or they may just give him a stage 1 warning (i'm presuming he has had no other disciplinaries?)

I did this once too - just got back from a week-long trip for work (where I'd used my work credit card throughout for all expenses) and nipped into Tesco and used it again on autopilot. I just told my boss and didn't claim for that expense. I didn't get into any trouble at all. Actually buying things on purpose would have got me at least a slap on the wrist.

He's either a fraud, or thick, and neither are great attributes for keeping your job I'm afraid.

I'm a bit 'hmmm' at people asking why anybody would ever withdraw cash on a credit card.

No, it's not the smartest financial move, and it can often be a slippery slope - and you obviously shouldn't do it with a card that isn't your own; but surely you've heard of the concept of poor people with no other possible (legal) way to get cash, who are desperate for money to buy essentials or make debt payments for which, for whatever reason, they can't pay directly with a card?

Worst case scenario: sacked and prosecuted for fraud. Best to be prepared for this. No-one will believe that he withdrew cash using company credit card accidentally.

I'm not sure there are any ways to avoid dismissal.
In almost any work place, this would be gross misconduct.

Especially the cash withdrawals. That indicates premeditation, unless as previous poster said, there is a damn good explanation for it.

What are the best options to avoid dismissal?

You can't. Once is a mistake that if you owned up as soon as you realised, is usually OK. What this scenario sounds like is fraud.

Why are you looking for actions that may prevent him from being dismissed? Are you happy that he is a thief?
If someone walked through your front door and emptied your purse, but left you a note saying they would pay it back soon, would you look for excuses for their actions? No, you'd be calling the feds
(joke, I meant the police, feds just worked!)

sorry from you op I’m not sure what you mean by paid it back. As in he’d spend say a fiver and then transfer that money back into the card so no interest paid on it etc? Or that he’s paid it back now that it’s come to light?

because the former may just be a warning but the latter is a different matter all together.

It’s the cash withdrawals that are the worst, for all the reasons given up thread. Many company cards are blocked for this anyway, even if you have a pin it will only be for transactions not ATMS to ensure this situation cannot happen. Also,cash on credit cards results in the highest interest rates by far.

He should expect dismissal. Sorry.

A lot of info missing here I'd say. Are you deliberately keeping it back OP so as not to be judged, or is your DP keeping info from you?

If the latter, I'd be seriously worried about what's going on with his finances that he's hiding from you. I'd be worried that he's spending the money on some nefarious activity or addiction.

You need him to be honest with you, and he also needs to be honest with his employers. Honesty is best, and face the consequences.

What does he say was his reason?