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!

Wtf was he thinking. He'd be looking at immediate dismissal at my workplace, regardless of whatever reason he might give. That is inexcusable.

Op what were the transactions? Was there gambling in there? I’m not sure if you’re the man here as your other threads would indicate or you’re the woman, and who has done this.

gambling addicts often go on till there is nothing left, till they lose everything. Where they are hugely in debt, lost their jobs, their homes, their families.

clearly there is significant financial issues in the home. Onky you know if it’s being made worse by further gambling. The transactions will be visible to the employer. Ie what it was used for, other than the cash withdrawals.

contrary to a pp comment, admitting a gambling problem is not going to save their job. Gambling on the company credit card is game over.

you don’t need to say, or say who you are. But it’s important you both understand what these transactions are for, and why they took place at the root cause. And understand fully what the company can see.

What do you mean 'paid the monies back after use' - has he been paying money off their bill?

Dismissal in the public sector where I work. I did have a company credit card in a previous admin role and we had to ensure never even to save the details on any website we used it on and had to get approval too. I now work in counter fraud and using a card numerous ties would be classed as fraud.

Has anyone witnessed or seen similar scenarios? Advise would be much appreciated. thanks!

I had an employee that did this and we dismissed them for it. I would so so again (sorry for you, OP). There is not coming back to a position of trust from this - and almost every job involves some level of trust.

If used accidently and the person reports it as soon as possible then we'd take no action.

If repeated incidents and the person didn't report it and was found out then that is dishonesty. It would be instant dismissal

But saying that I know someone who used the card twice for personal stiff. Accounts team spotted it and the person got a final warning, card removed from them. We think they escaped the sack because they were a vital part of a team with specialised skills

I would expect dismissal. I've had a few company credit cards over the past 20 years and have only once used a corporate card in error and like pp, I realised quite quickly, and sorted it out straight away.

If you are issued with a company credit card it is for a reason and should be used in line with policy. Your DP has abused it, and you and he know he has. There's nothing he could say to excuse this behaviour.

Finance director here. At my work, it would be immediate dismissal for gross misconduct. Especially the cash withdrawals. We get people to sign a form when they get a company card outlining this

We have had people use their card when in an emergency/theirs hasn't worked but they have notified us after the event and paid back the money.

Best case - the take the card off him and give him a written warning
Worst case - they make him pay back the money and he loses his job.

Hoping for the best for you OP. Depends on the company really what happens

His best option to avoid dismissal is to negotiate a resignation with basic reference in return for going quietly and not challenging it.

Sorry I re read that he paid the money back.

Even so, cash withdrawals are an absolute no no in every single circumstance here. And when I say people have used them in an emergency it's been once

Personal expense on company cards start to flag all sorts of things also.

Hoping for the best outcome anyway but I would not expect a miracle.

That Uber UI is a nightmare! Happened to me once and I didn't even notice until I did my expenses. No issue but I was so annoyed, was convinced I was on the personal tab.

A little more detail is needed for me.
If his personal card is, for example, Orange Bank, as is his corporate card, and he's changed the pin to the same one to make it easier, I think it would look less bad. It would be sloppy, yes, but fairly easily done.
If the corporate card is Watermelon Bank and he is with Orange Bank it would be fraud.
I changed my corporate card PIN once (I had brain fog!), and they were with the same bank. I wasn't concentrating on a transaction, so I used my corporate card. I didn't notice until I was called in, but I could easily explain it and show how easy it was. I made an immediate effort to have it repaid and apologised profusely, my transactions were a couple of small weekend ones.

OP a similar scenario happened in an old workplace and the colleague was dismissed. They had booked a holiday on the company credit card, her excuse was for ‘the security’ anyway it did not fly and she was dismissed. As you mention several transactions, and for cash (what on earth for?? Why has he used a company card for that?? How on earth is he expecting to explain that away) I’m sorry but this does not look good for him at all.

I have dismissed for this both here and abroad as it's gross misconduct and against company policy. There is no excuse.

he didn’t expense it so the employer hasn’t paid for the cash

I don’t think there is anything to pay back though as he didn’t claim it as an expense. It sounds like it’s a credit card that you are responsible for paying for yourself and then claim back through expenses

Surely a meal on a business trip is a work expense and what a company credit card is for?

Sorry ignore message

The deliberate nature of what he's done would make this a gross misconduct offence where I work and therefore instant dismissal. The best he can do is be completely honest, remorseful and demonstrate that he understands the ramifications of his own actions and pray that they're willing to give him another chance. I'd prepare for the worst though.

@Charcol it depends. If they mean you can use it as long as all personal spending is covered by him, rather than ‘only transactions for company business’ then if he absolutely intended to pay it back then he may get away with some warning. If it specifies only company transactions it could be gross misconduct. It really depends what his contract says really.

This is definitely gross misconduct - unless he can prove that the purchases he made were for business then I’m afraid it is a strong possibility that he could be dismissed over this.

The cash withdrawals would also be another concerning factor; There’s no evidence as to where this money has gone to. Not saying he is a thief - but from an employer perspective alarm bells would ring. Does he have a receipt to cover the cash usage?

It’s theft if it’s for personal use- even if he planned to return it. It’s exactly the same as a retail assistant taking money from a till…

That I am afraid… and a very bad reputation that follows in next companies.

World is small.

That last line comes across as twisting the knife. OP is clearly worried and she is not the one who has done wrong.

Brace yourself for the worst. It’s fairly likely, to be brutally honest with you.

he is the one that covers the credit card bill not the company and he hasn’t claimed through expenses so it’s not theft but is wrong as it’s against policy.