Delegation

[JessieMcJessie]

This is kind of an AIBU. When I travel for work, I give all my receipts to my PA, she puts them into an expenses claim form which I then review and sign and it goes to accounts. All expenses have to be reclaimed within 3 months.

So on one occasion I gave her the receipts, she put the form in a folder and forgot about it. We only realised 4 months later that it hadn't been signed so I signed and submitted then.

AIBU to think that the late sumbission is not my fault?

I have been told it is bad management on my part not to have noticed she hadn't given the form back to sign and I may not be able to reclaim the costs. I am also told that my lack of attention to detail on this issue raises questions about whether I can be trusted to pay attention to detail on client files.

NB I don't personally blame my PA, as these things happen. But I feel that management is being unfair by blaming me. If I start a process (that normally works perfectly) by giving the form to my assistant, do I really have to micromanage every subsequent step? It's making me wonder where I draw the line when I delegate anything.

I think management are making this a bigger deal than it is.
You are right to not blame your PA as it appears to have been a one off and a genuine mistake.
I would point out to the management that your PA's oversight has only had a direct affect on you. Had you not been so busy ensuring your clients needs are met and that every I was dotted and T crossed for them you may have picked up on your missing expenses sooner.
You have now put an action plan in place with your PA and your expenses are now dealt with on the last Friday of the month routinely so in the future nothing will be missed/forgotten about.

Then give it no more thought and move on OP. Mistakes can be learned from but you cannot change that it has happened.

Thanks. I am only recently promoted and am trying hard to learn to delegate but I just feel like it only results in me doing twice as much work.

Delegation takes time to get right.
Only delegate tasks you know they can complete also check with them first that they can do it. I used to delegate by e-mail and ask that question at the end so that they had to reply 'yes they are capable' or 'no there not'. This ensured if there was a balls up it was their responsibility not mine if they had answered yes iyswim.

Interesting. On my manager's analysis I should not have believed that a PA was capable of filling in a form and giving it back to me.