What’s your approach to claiming expenses at work?
Posted by pinpoint321@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 184 comments
When it comes to claiming expenses I’m usually quite careful not to seem like I’m taking the piss. So for example if I’m traveling I won’t expense my lunch (eg a Boots Meal Deal) as I would have been buying that anyway.
I’ll also try to choose the best value option for an evening meal.
But I have worked with some people who expense everything from the minute they leave the house until they get home and head for places for dinner they would never choose at home,
I’m wondering if they’re right and I’m wrong?
BLightyear67@reddit
Expense everything. Your expenses are a fraction of what the Leadership team and Directors will be expensing.
younevershouldnt@reddit
Well I'd probably take a packed lunch if I were in the office, so I'll claim a meal deal if I'm traveling for work
CuteAssociate4887@reddit
Doesn't matter in our place,they will "lose what you've sent" after around 6 months to a year and refuse to pay you because you have no evidence.
romeo__golf@reddit
If I'm travelling for work everything gets expensed from the minute I leave the house.
Mileage? Expensed from my door to the destination and back.
Parking? Expensed. And I'll pick the convenient/clean one, not the dark and dingy cheap multi-storey.
Lunch? Expensed. If I were in the office I'd probably have brought something from home to re-heat.
Dinner? Expensed. And I'll have a glass of wine or a beer with it if I'm in the mood. I'll pick a restaurant I'd eat in on my own money.
Hotel? Expensed. And I won't be booking the cheapest I can find, it'll be a reasonable mid-range like a Hilton Doubletree, Holiday Inn, or something similar with a fitness centre so I can do my usual workout and sleep in comfort.
We have a written expenses policy but it's largely ignored and only in place in case of serious abuse. I report directly to one of the company directors who often recommends restaurants and hotels in the cities I visit which would sometimes be more than I would look to book for myself on my own money, so I have no reservations in being comfortable when I make my own choices.
When we were running a project for a local authority, said local authority refused to pay expenses for alcohol. My employer sent a memo around saying to buy any alcohol on a second receipt so they can expense it internally instead.
Competitive_Test6697@reddit
Do what feels best and most comfortable for you? (Within guidelines)
TSC-99@reddit
Not a thing. Teacher.
ChrisRR@reddit
Of course I claim for lunch. If I have to buy from a shop because I can't take food with me, then the company's paying for it
gander8622@reddit
I haven't paid for lunch in years. I've worked at various different sites, different clients & companies.
So I just pay for my lunch on the company card and submit a receipt. Then claim milage too.
You'll probably have HR policies with maximum spends for breakfast, lunch, dinner and when you are eligible for them. Make use of it, you have a right to it!
You are disrupting your home life to travel for work.
Expense that lunch! Lol
RetiredFromIT@reddit
Amusing story - I once got involved in a big expenses row at a company I worked at as a consultant.
At the time, I'd be working on customer site 5 days a week, miles away from home, so was booked into hotels. At one client, I was going to be there for months, and the client suggested business apartments they had used in the past, which my company approved. Half the cost of the hotel, and I had my own kitchen and lounge.
So instead of eating out all the time, I started going to Tesco's, and cooking. I didn't expense it as I'd have been paying for groceries at home anyway.
After a couple of weeks, my direct boss commented on my expenses being low, and I explained. He said it made the other consultants look bad (including him), and I should expense my groceries.
This seemed mad to me, but he insisted. So I expensed them, and accounts and upper management went mad.
I was very reluctantly drawn into an argument between my British direct boss and the American upper management, who saw my claim as "taking advantage".
My boss correctly pointed out that my contract said I was on full expenses when I was onsite, and just because I was frugal, why should it cost me? All expenses were charged to the client, anyway, and they were completely content.
The argument dragged on, and I ended up cutting across it all, by saying I would no longer buy groceries, but eat out every night - which would cost far more than my Tesco shop! I also muttered about possibly moving back to the hotel.
After that, upper management came back with an acceptable solution. I would stay in the apartment, not expense my groceries, but would receive a fixed stipend of £30 a week for food expenses. As this was more than I was generally claiming, I was fine with this.
gander8622@reddit
Haha! That's just crazy! Quids in for you though.
Chance-Bread-315@reddit
When I've had jobs that covered expenses I just... followed the policy? It was pretty clearly outlined what was acceptable to include.
One company even gave you a set limit for spending on meals that was company-wide so if I wanted something more expensive, I paid the difference, but I was never making a point of trying to spend less than the budget they'd set out.
Historical_Heron4801@reddit
It depends who I'm working for at the time. I used to work for a boss who if you got sick on paid time off, they'd give you it as a sick day and add a day back on your available time off. I was careful to give them a similar level of respect and consideration.
The company who checked on me if a was in the toilets for more than 4 minutes (during a 12hr shift) were taken for everything I could get from them.
BlokeyBlokeBloke@reddit
That's basically the law.
Historical_Heron4801@reddit
Interesting. Never experienced that anywhere else.
SomeHSomeE@reddit
Unless you benefit from under-claiming and saving money on cheap dinners then I don't really get why you'd do what you're doing. You don't owe them anything. As long as you're within the rules then claim away. Regular work travel is exhausting and disruptive so if I can claim up to £x for dinner then I'm finding the nicest place to eat in that budget.
I only ever don't claim when it's £1s or whatever. Like I won't claim for a bottle of water alone as it's not worth the 15 minutes of my time to make the claim.
New_Line4049@reddit
Nah mate, claim for the bottle of water and bill the time it took to make the claim lol
Ok737468383838@reddit
I definitely claim for the bottle of water. It takes 30 seconds on the SAP app and it's their time not mine anyway.
SomeHSomeE@reddit
Unfortunately my place has a cheap shit expenses claim system. And I don't work strict hours, so if I don't spend 15 mins claiming for that £1.20 bottle of evian then I can go home 15 mins earlier or take longer for lunch or whatever, which is more valuable to me!
If it was a quick app then I'd definitely do it! Conspiracy theorists might say that they've made expenses claims intentionally difficult but really it's just that my place always cheaps out on IT and HR systems.
New_Line4049@reddit
I just follow our expenses policy. Company says Im allowed to claim lunch on expenses do I do. No point losing out on what youre allowed. I dont deliberately take the piss, like, I know people who'll go out of their way to spend every penny they can claim, I dont go that far, but equally if the company has told me what Im allowed Im not going to expend energy trying to figure out how to keep my claims even smaller.
CaveJohnson82@reddit
I claim for everything but I don't take the piss. Lunch - yes; three course dinner with wine - no. Although I have been to dinner with seniors who have paid for that.
BlokeyBlokeBloke@reddit
And they will be expensing it back from the company.
CaveJohnson82@reddit
Absolutely
Temporary-Zebra97@reddit
Technically the company card allows up to 60k a month spend, as long as the expense is within policy and is receipted it goes through, biggest single bill was for 15k for a client dinner.
As for choosing where to eat that depends on what I fancy or how hungry I am, my only rules for myself are to seek out Indy restaurants and avoid eating in the hotel where possible.
destria@reddit
I claim everything that I'm entitled to under the policy. My workplaces have always had pretty clear policies, things like when you can claim for breakfast/lunch/dinner and max amounts, or what types of travel they cover. I'll book the best hotel within the price limit too.
After all it's still work. If it were a regular work day, I might bring my own lunch in and keep it in the staff fridge but I don't have that option if I'm traveling. Same for dinner, I'm stuck somewhere other than home where I'd normally cook, so I'm going to claim a nice dinner out.
yearsofpractice@reddit
Hey OP. 50 year old corporate veteran here. If you’re entitled to claim expenses and you follow your HR’s policy - claim what you have receipted proof for.
But… regards the “Let’s run up big bills and try to expense everything” brigade - a very savvy boss once said to me
> “If a company is looking to lay people off, being an idiot with your expenses is the easiest way to get yourself fired”
When I’m travelling for work, I claim everything I’m entitled to within policy and receipt everything.
GooseyDuckDuck@reddit
You are working away from home, without your regular home comforts, you can't just open the fridge and make a meal or grab a drink. Claim what you need to within the company policy.
730463628@reddit
Just follow what the HR/Finance policy for travel expenses is. There's no need to overthink it, just do as you're told. The business has already thought about what they are and aren't willing to cover.
PrinceBert@reddit
100% agree. And if that means OP is allowed to claim lunch but doesn't then they're just missing out. If policy says you can claim something then they're not going to notice if you don't do it, no one is giving you kudos for that; they only notice if you do take the piss.
shakaman_@reddit
OP thinks hes a saint for saving some massive company his £4 meal deal
pinpoint321@reddit (OP)
OP works for a small company and there is no set policy I have just been told to claim whatever I think is necessary as there’s no policy as such. And I don’t want to look like a petty dick.
PrinceBert@reddit
That is fair, I've been there too and it doesn't take long for someone to be brought in in finance who looks at things and says "why are we spending so much expensing lunches" but I would say that its better for it to be high and cut back than already low and cut back. Don't be a dick but maybe still claim your meal deal so that there's something to cut back eventually and it not be the end of the world.
OdBlow@reddit
The amount we can claim hasn’t changed but the level of checking has after some bright spark went home on sick leave and decided to still put in their “expenses” despite being 6 hours away… HR shortly discovered they’d been falsifying most receipts in the year prior to that but probably wouldn’t have noticed if they weren’t still claiming dinner from a pub near the workplace whilst also off sick back at home!
donalmacc@reddit
They’re closer to right than you are. You shouldn’t be a single pound out of pocket - expense the meal deals and go for dinners out and have a beer.
Don’t be that sick that submits double the expense policy and 5 pints a night though.
BeardedBaldMan@reddit
My policy has always been to claim for everything that could possibly be covered by the policy no matter how small.
If I'm expected to be away from home then I'm not going to feel bad about hitting the expense limit for each meal or having the taxi driver waiting for me in the arrivals lounge
missuseme@reddit
Yep, I'm surprised how many of my colleagues have never read our expenses policy and instead are just overly cautious. I claim what is permitted to be claimed.
mosleyowl@reddit
Just make sure if they are not expensing certain stuff (such as the 45p/25p mileage, professional fees, overnight expenses etc.) then you are able to claim tax relief on the difference
Tang0_Brav0@reddit
If HR is not questioning every item, you're doing it wrong!
Joking aside, please understand that it's all part of an operating expense that's basically a tax write off. Business expenses are tax deductible, personal expenses are not.
TypicalLobster86@reddit
When I travel with work and am on my own and not seeing clients I usually book an aparthotel, grab a load of stuff from a supermarket and cook for myself which ends up being much cheaper and healthier than getting deliveroo or eating out. This usually costs about fifteen quid for a full day.
Recently the company has decided to amend their expense policy and no longer allow you to claim lunch if you’re away from your usual place of work. The allowance was only a fiver to begin with.
This pettiness has pissed me off, so now I maximise what I can expense for meals and the company ends up around £30 a day worse off because of it.
Automatic-Plan-9087@reddit
Like your good self, I used to buy my own lunch. Breakfast was included with the hotel room and evening meals / drinks were chosen to be reasonable. We were given a budget for evenings and many times I came in under.
A few colleagues looked on the budget figure as a target, not a limit, and there was an all hands meeting where the difference was explained and they were told that, if they persisted, the hotel “level” would be reduced.
Not that we were staying in the Hilton, but the threat of sharing a room in some skanky boarding house instead of a single room in a chain hotel with en-suite was enough to bring them back in line.
xxx654@reddit
No decent company will make you stay in a two to a room guest house. Can you imagine the potential exposure? It’s an absurd and empty threat.
donalmacc@reddit
It works though. The policy needs to allow for someone being in both London and Leeds, and either they need to set an expense policy per city per level, or just have one that’s reasonable as a catch all. I don’t see why it’s unfair for the company to say “could you please not take the piss”
xxx654@reddit
I’m talking about the room sharing. That’s mental.
donalmacc@reddit
The room sharing isn’t the point - the threat of “we’ll take the nice toy away” is the only thing that works with some people. It might be room sharing, it might be using personal credit cards for the rewards, it might be BYO device or flexible WFH.
To some people “flexible” means take as much as you physically can, if they didn’t mean it they would have clarified. For others it means “we want you to not have to worry if this meal is out of budget because we don’t have an expense policy with rates for Copenhagen”. The first group will see the £75/diem rate and go to the most expensive restaurant every single night when they’re in Budapest, and expense more than £75. The second group will go there once and go to the second best place next door for 1/5 of the price. The first group ruin it for the second group, all the time.
xxx654@reddit
I agree with everything else. I work in an international company, travel globally for work, I understand the rest of it. I’m specifically talking about the room thing. It’s nuts.
As I say elsewhere, my company uses the US state dept per diem guidance. ppl are expected to treat as if it’s their own money, there are regular audits, and all queries go to the approving manager if there’s suspected largesse in their team. I’ve seen the old $500 bottle of wine in Singapore expense get returned back to someone before.
I couldnt imagine in 2026 that there are people sharing hotel rooms with colleagues. Seems I’m wrong, but I’m amazed that organisations would open themselves up to issues related to that for a modest cost saving.
donalmacc@reddit
I think your reaction proves why it works though - it's the only thing that will make people think "oh shit".
Scarred_fish@reddit
This is standard in local govt, in Scotland anyway. Around 2007 the policy did change so that no mixed sex colleagues shared. My first ever work training trip I shared with the head engineer who was female.
xxx654@reddit
What?! No way. Not a chance would I entertain that.
Lemon-Flower-744@reddit
A company I worked for did this, more than once too. They weren't a decent company.
tmr89@reddit
Yup, that doesn’t sound real
Lemon-Flower-744@reddit
An old dickhead boss of mine, he had a strict policy of only finding hotels that were under £40 for the staff out on the road. Sometimes my colleague would just put them in a B&B with a SHARED BATHROOM! But then the people out on the road would always hit the dinner limit as if it was a target.
I pointed out that they were complaining about hotels, so that's probably why they were hitting the limit on dinners. He said "they should be grateful I'm not making them pay for their accommodation." I then went back and said "maybe they would prefer the £40 towards it." In the end I was getting fed up of the people out on the road shouting in my ear about their awful digs. I went past that £40 numerous times and they were happier.
My boss pulled me up on it and I said without them you wouldn't have a business so I think you need to do better. He didn't say anything else but I soon left after because his expectation to everything was ridiculous.
carlovski99@reddit
I rarely do much travel for work (Used to do it a bit more frequently), and have always worked public sector. So expenses aren't particularly generous and I am always aware it's public money. So in the main I've only ever really claimed for transport and accommodation if needed. I'd be eating either way plus don't want to have to second guess myself around what is covered.
If I was travelling all the time, doing sales or similar, I'd be claiming everything I could
Thalamic_Cub@reddit
Check the policy and claim everything I can under it. Its not taking the mick if its literally outlined in policy 😁
Prestigious_Leg7821@reddit
I always claimed what I thought was fair, and wdnt claim for something I’d usually have, but was entitled to claim for - eg coffee in the morning was claimable if travelling early.
That was until they audited every expense and called me out on a 36p typo - claimed for everything after that - over £100 every month….
My fav ever expense story was about an absolute pr*ck of a regional manager who in a prior life falsified mileage claims in his sales job One of his peers sent him a “friendly heads up” whilst he was on holiday that first day back there was a mileage expense audit - so the guy took an extra day off to drive round the m25 several times
There was no audit
GooseyDolphin@reddit
Our company’s expenses policy is “don’t take the piss”.
I won’t expense anything I wouldn’t have bought with my own money.
eques_99@reddit
I never expense meals, only stuff that I would not spend if I was not on company business.
though I guess you could say if you don't have access to your home kitchen you have to eat out in some form.
BlokeyBlokeBloke@reddit
Why don't you expense meals?
eques_99@reddit
because it's something I'd spend anyway.
Draught-Punk@reddit
If the only reason you're away from your own kitchen is because work has made you away from home, then it wouldn't be something you'd spend on anyway.
eques_99@reddit
qué?
BlokeyBlokeBloke@reddit
But they expect you to use the expenses. Why not use what you can?
yorkspirate@reddit
I see what your saying but to me expenses are part of the salary/wage package I have.
Floor_Kicker@reddit
First of all, it's a perk of the job. Yes you probably would have had to buy food anyway if you didn't bring in a packed lunch, but being able to expense it is part of the agreement that it is being given in exchange for the inconvenience of having to travel for work.
It's a bonus of the job and part of the agreement when you started working there. Would you give back any other perk? If you got private healthcare from the company, would you refuse to use it for an expensive surgery because you don't want to take the piss? What about an annual pay bonus? Would you give half back?
Second of all, the company has given you that limit because they have already budgeted the full amount in. Unless they've told you that money could be reallocated elsewhere if not spent, not using it doesn't achieve anything. It just means if you're spending less they'll give you less next time a new annual budget is calculated. Would you still not use it all if the limit is decreased?
Third of all, it's company you're providing a service to through your work and are getting paid in exchange for it. That's all your relationship should be. Take the piss. Who gives a shit? You don't owe them any loyalty. You know the second you stop being useful to them they will replace you with someone they can pay less. Take everything you can from them for as long as you can
jeminar@reddit
No company will thank you for saving money on expenses. They won't even know
FlibV1@reddit
I claim mileage at work as I drive around all day in my own vehicle.
I'd love to add a few extra miles here and there but I can guarantee that if I do, it'll go to some kind of audit.
So I just trundle round cursing at the fact that mileage allowances haven't gone up since 2011 and I'm being completely fucked over.
FollowingSalty@reddit
I drive an EV for work - only option for company cars where I am these days - and live in a flat so have no home charger. The mileage I get back works out far less than it costs me in public charging, so you best believe I’m using the longest route from Google maps as my base point when doing my expenses! Drives me mad that the allowances haven’t gone up in so long
KittyGrewAMoustache@reddit
How much are the allowances now? I remember it being about 40 p per mile at my first job in 2008.
FlibV1@reddit
Then you'll be pleased to know they've shot up to the heady heights of 45p a mile.
For the first 10,000 miles, then a massive 25p a mile thereafter.
Draught-Punk@reddit
The company I work for allows us to claim 45p even after 10,000 miles, but the 20p extra is treated as benefit in kind tax. They don't want to dissuade us from going out, after that 10,000 miles.
It really should be more than 45p though, especially with the recent fuel hikes.
DebsUK693@reddit
You should never be out of pocket when travelling for work. Raise it with your company.
FlibV1@reddit
If we raise it, nothing is done.
We're just hoping the mileage review that the government has launched will conclude swiftly and with a positive outcome for us.
Which is something government reviews are well known for.
Because things are getting a bit desperate.
FlibV1@reddit
That's the thing, they've been known to check the routes you took and question why you haven't gone the most direct route.
Vena_Mala@reddit
My company policy is £50 a day so I spend as close to £50 as possible.
OdBlow@reddit
I worked on site away from home for several months… my boss encouraged me to use the full amount because why not. Tbf, when I saw the cost of the accommodation for the time I was there, claiming the full amount most days was a fraction of that.
Just don’t be an idiot and put through meal/fuel expenses when you’re not allowed to. Someone did that for when they were off sick back at their normal home and that was the thing that got flagged on the system. Nothing to do with me claiming £40 a night given I wasn’t forging receipts and they knew I was on site. They even upped that max claimable while I was there!
Spicymargx@reddit
I think it very much depends on the type of organisation I work for. If I worked in tech I’d be more likely to enjoy the expenses policy than if I worked for a charity, where I’d be more careful.
ch1ma3ra@reddit
I stick to the terms of the expense policy where I work, but I don't seek to max it out like some folk I know do. The one thing I do do is, given that our expense policy DOESN'T include lunch during the working week, is I will typically eat a far larger breakfast than I do normally to carry me through the day until dinner time.
underwater-sunlight@reddit
If there is a written agreement on what you can claim then you are not taking the piss by claiming it. Your employers arent giving it to you as for nothing, it benefits them for what they can claim back and it benefits them because they need you to do a specific task.
Those people who look to claim every penny have more time and patience than I, but they may have their reasons. Ive seen stories on here in the petty revenge section where their claim was rejected for once going slightly over when every other claim was drastically under their entitlement so they made sure to claim the limit wherever possible
JuanitaMerkin@reddit
I temporarily worked for a national charity and this issue was the other way around - the charity were the ones taking the piss.
For example, i had a training week and they booked me into a Hilton when there was a completely adequate Travelodge next door. All that money wasted when it could have gone to the service users of said charity.
No_Actuary9100@reddit
I don’t think charities should be any more frugal with their employees … they’re doing a paid job just like anywhere else
DameKumquat@reddit
The next thread on "which charities do you donate to ?"will have the 'I don't give to big charities because they waste so much on admin' crowd giving 'staying in Hiltons' as an example of waste.
As opposed to being standard provision for staff you want to keep...
PurchaseDry9350@reddit
What was the price difference? Sometimes there's surprisingly not much difference
Fudge_is_1337@reddit
What was the price difference per night/for the week?
I've stayed in some truly terrible Travelodges that looked adequate from the outside, but were really not well suited to multi-night stays.
Iwantedalbino@reddit
I can’t speak for the specific charity, but most travel bookers get preferential rates and need to balance out your happiness with the facilities etc (quite often people want a gym for example) plus incidentals like breakfast WiFi add up. And if there’s the expectation for you to work from your room a suitable desk etc is also needed (no complaints from me about travel lodges offering there but I don’t complain about anything)
Icy_Mixture1482@reddit
They only offer WiFi at breakfast time?
Iwantedalbino@reddit
Missing comma, it’s becoming a theme for me on reddit
UniqueTart6744@reddit
The company I worked for had partnerships with various hotel chains and we were encouraged to book into those hotels rather than other ones, even if they were cheaper on the face of it.
If you didn’t book yourself or end up seeing the final price for what it cost the charity, this may have been a factor in their decision, and the Hilton may have actually been cheaper for them.
JuanitaMerkin@reddit
I saw the booking from a generic hotel website with the final price. This was not the case.
CoconutBandita@reddit
Hilton and the likes offer cheaper rates to organisations, so the charity may have been paying less than it would for a travelodge
JuanitaMerkin@reddit
They sent me the booking from a generic hotel website
whatmichaelsays@reddit
In fairness, there's a balance that has to work for the employee as well.
If I'm being asked to work away from home, away from my family and asked to give up what I might be doing that evening, I'd be pretty pissed off if my employer put me up in the cheapest place they could find that didn't at least have some sort of creature comfort, such as a gym, a pool or a decent bar to watch the football in.
A Travelodge might be perfectly functional and fine for me when I'm spending my own money through choice, but when I'm having work impose on my free time by telling me to be away from home, I'm going to expect something better.
StrainTiny7349@reddit
Agree. Also most workplaces book via an agent who has negotiated rates with the hotels. You'll be surprised how much a room in a Hilton really costs (when you book thousands each year)...
JuanitaMerkin@reddit
They sent me the booking from a generic hotel website
PeppercornWizard@reddit
My dad used to be a commercial printer in the 1990s and they had a contract for a big national charity. Their letter heads (for their head office) had some gold detailing. There were a couple of options for this; ink with real gold in it, or synthetic gold ink which is orders of magnitudes cheaper. Guess which ink the charity wanted?
DangerousDisplay7664@reddit
I do it like you and don't believe in taking the piss. Others expect a free ride.
BlokeyBlokeBloke@reddit
You are out for work. That's not a free ride.
ArcTan_Pete@reddit
In previous jobs, I have had to fight to claim legitimate expenses, so my attitude now is:
If it's covered, claim it.
arturoui@reddit
When I switched from public sector, the NHS, to a job in commerce, I took my parsimonious behaviours with me. I was reluctant to claim for the allowances that were clearly in my contract. I had been so conscious of spending public money that it took a little while to realise that my allowances in commerce were priced into my cost of employment. They expect you to claim the allowances because the business model includes them as an accounting package, salary plus travel and subsistence expenses, training, pension, health insurance etc etc. If you do not exceed what is explicitly budgeted for you then you are definitely not taking the piss
EvilTaffyapple@reddit
We get specific amounts we’re allowed to claim, something like £15 for lunch and £30 for evening meal, plus £10 “general” expenses like coffee, paper, etc.
Joyride4Life@reddit
I claim what ever I want to claim. If I’m away, I select my own hotel. If I’m there for a night, I don’t care. If I’m there for longer, I unpack and want a gym or a pool as I would use those every other day anyway.
As for food, I’m not going to skimp on behalf of some project that I know what the budget. I also don’t go out, invite friends, drink to excess and then claim £400 as my evening meal. I’ll have a drink with my meal and unless I’m entertaining a client, that’s where the expenses stop. If I’m entertaining, we will drink to their satisfaction as they are ultimately signing off the expenses through the contract reimbursement, but I tend to enable this if I need to understand my client better. What their needs and motivations are beyond what they are able to explain in a direct business meeting.
As for hotels, overseas I will stick to a brand hotel or somewhere that has a decent review rating. The cost is less important as it will always be a fraction of my day rate, but I do have minimums for anything over a single night.
I used to work in engineering consultancy in ports and the options there were always more limited, but often the best options were to ask the client where they put people up. That usually leads to somewhere decent.
Compare a decent hotel to the day I had to add an extra night and everything was full. The first hotel served a full buffet breakfast every morning from 6:30am. The second hotel didn’t serve breakfast that night because someone had been stabbed in the bar that night and scenes of crime officers were dusting everything.
I don’t end up out of pocket whilst away, but I don’t earn from it either except maybe hotel points.
FlatsInDagenham@reddit
I look at the expense policy and act accordingly
RhubarbImmediate7007@reddit
I was appalled at the MPs expenses scandal, but the hypocrisy was pointed out to me, when I knew our expenses policy to the letter, and would often ask restaurants to bill me £37 for a meal (mid 2015 prices) and include booze but not on the receipt, and if I had to get a Tesco meal deal for dinner, I’d make sure I spent my full allowance!
Informal-Intern-8672@reddit
Claim those expenses, your company can afford it, eating for free is the main benefit of travelling imo. Taking the piss would be what someone I work with did where they caught an STD while working abroad and tried to put the cost of the medication on expenses.
LillyAtts@reddit
The audacity 🫣
SpudFire@reddit
I don't get why you're choosing the best value meal? They're taking you away from home and a fresh home-cooked meal (whether you'd actually have that or not is irrelevant). They can pay to look after you properly and make the inconvenience worth it.
I'm not saying have the 30oz tomahawk steak and a couple of the most expensive whiskeys they sell as that is taking the piss. But don't choose the fish and chips instead of a nice ribeye just to look frugal. Your company should be factoring in the cost of employees staying away when signing contracts.
sleepyprojectionist@reddit
I only travel for work a few times a year but have been told to “treat the company’s money like my own”.
As long as I am away for work I am entitled to breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I think that my daily limit before finance start asking questions is £100.
The company is more than happy for me to put two or three beers on the card with dinner.
I’m not in a very well-paid job and I batch cook a lot at home to save money, so when I’m away with work I make the most of it.
Deep_Top8433@reddit
I generally claim absolutely everything I can get away with. If they want me to travel fine but I’m not going without or being uncomfortable because of it.
MCDCFC@reddit
Expenses while staying away with work away from home and family = fill your boots
2c0@reddit
Ask for the policy and expense every business expense that is allowed and within reason.
They allow £20 for meals? Find somewhere and expense a meal within that (or pay the excess).
They allow milage / travel costs? Expense it all. Its work related and can't be expected out of your pocket.
If they argue in any way show them the policy.
Ok_Shirt983@reddit
Your boss is not going to pat you on the back for not claiming for a supermarket meal deal, they're not even going to notice. Why waste your own money when the company has explicitly said they are happy to pay for it?
BlueFungus458@reddit
I nearly got the sack over 1/2 bottle of wine so after that I was very cautious. At my next job I was pulled aside and told I needed to claim more as the others were claiming so much more than me and I had made them “look bad”.
My last company decided that no one could claim more than £25 for vittles per day & night away due to HMRC guidance, after some salesman caned it a bit. (This didn’t include getting the company rate for Premier Inn with a “fill-yer-boots” breakfast). It’s amazing how many M&S Foods there are out and about for meal deals or nice salads and things to eat in the evening while watching ITV3 in your Premier Inn room of an evening.
BasisOk4268@reddit
We have to get approval to expense before making a purchase to prevent any piss taking
danielsemaj@reddit
I claim everything relevant and within my company policy. I choose comfortable options, not the cheapest as I shouldn’t have to live bare bones at the convenience of my company and work.
Scarred_fish@reddit
This is something that evolves.
When I first started being sent away for work, I was enjoying the travel and claimed very little.
Now, because I would rather not be having to do it, I claim for everything I am entitled to, make sure I have a damn good feed in the evening, at an establlishment that understands how to itemise a bill for working people (bottle of wine is "Dessert") etc.
We get taken advantage of enough these days, and you'll never get flagged for doing what's expected, but will look odd if you survive on a £3.99 Wetherspoons meal each day.
BlokeyBlokeBloke@reddit
Nobody ever got "He saved his company money by not getting a meal deal" on their tombstone.
LFCRedAnt@reddit
Being entitled to claim your lunch isn't taking the piss it's following company guidelines isn't it? If I'm away with work I know how much I can spend so I stay within that,if I manage to go over that then I claim back the maximum I can and pay the rest with my own money
ickleb@reddit
You’re away from home. It’s an inconvenience. This is part of how they reimburse you for it. A nice dinner is just a way of making up for not having a sofa and living out of a suitcase!!
Kian-Tremayne@reddit
Stay within the guidelines, but feel free to enjoy a decent choice as long as you do. We can’t usually claim for lunch, but can have breakfast at the hotel and an evening meal out as long as it’s not more expensive than eating at the hotel - which is generally interpreted as nobody will query if the bistro you went to charges £2 more for a steak than the hotel, but don’t book the three Michelin starred place with the eighteen course tasting menu.
I do not ever attempt to fiddle expenses or claim for something I shouldn’t. I once had a taxi driver hand me a receipt with the amount left blank and a wink. I thought about it for a moment, and decided that there was no number I could write in there other than the actual £10 fare that was worth risking a £60,000 a year job.
twonaq@reddit
They’re right you’re wrong. No boots meal deal on expenses, get something better. First class train tickets. It all gets written off, fucking have it!
TAOMCM@reddit
Why the fuck would I care about the company. You claim everything you can up to the expenses limit.
KittyGrewAMoustache@reddit
Yeah I agree with this, depending on the job, if you’re in the UK it’s very likely they’re not paying you enough anyway!
Alert_Mine7067@reddit
I wouldn't be worrying about taking the piss, if it's claimable then I claim for it, I've claimed for tolls, parking, items required to do my job that had to be sourced from outside our own supply chain due to no stock, I've claimed for breakfast that was supposed to be included in room rates but wasn't. If I was going to be paying for it, but they're not in the position where they pay, then I claim. I've claimed as low as £3, and would claim even less if I had the expense.
My employer is a large PLC and I have no moral dilemma with them paying for anything that they're offering to. How I see it is that I'm a tool in a box that they have to generate turnover, and I'm not being out of pocket personally whilst they post profits of over £1bn a year.
ben_jamin_h@reddit
Boss makes a pound while I make a penny, that's why my travel food and drink's always spenny.
BubblerSpesh@reddit
If you don’t have a company credit card, and the expenses are of a decent value, it’s worth getting a rewards credit card of some sort (avios might be an idea). The points you spend can earn you a bonus flight etc from time to time.
Only works if you are disciplined enough to not spend anything else on it/pay off in full each month. If not, DONT!
Roofless_@reddit
Everything gets expensed, I get an allowance of £25 per meal also. Travel, mileages, drinks, snacks, any equipment I need all gets expensed.
If you ever go out with a manger or director then they pay for everything of course.
Last trip was to Germany and the rounds were flying put it that way.
Unable_Efficiency_98@reddit
The company I work for has a hotel/ car hire/ plane ticket portal we’re supposed to use. I can get cheaper prices booking myself through normal channels, so I book my hotels through the company rewards portal and get cash back and points for me and save the company money. No matter how I book I have to pay and claim back through expenses.
We can claim food while travelling as a separate expense so it doesn’t eat into the meal allowance. If I’m staying a night I’ll use a travelodge or similar, but if I’m training it’s normally a week away so it’ll be a Hilton or similar so I’ve got space to chill out in a nice room after a day of my brain turning to mush.
CaptainPerhaps@reddit
A colleague of mine got cc’d by mistake on a approval email and a certain someone had tried to expense a £60 moisturiser that they’d bought at the airport during a business trip “because he gets dry skin when he flies”. Absolute top level piss-takery.
OkTechnician4610@reddit
Where I work there are strict rules so I follow them. We can only spend a specified amount if we are working offsite or travelling.
Historical_Project86@reddit
No one is going to reward you for treating the company you work for like some sort of mate. They will take the mickey out of you whenever it suits, so I would claim everything. I remember when BT bought out EE and stopped us claiming mileage for passengers, so effectively we paid BT whenever we drove to a customer site or between EE offices. I usually just about covered my fuel, others lost money each time. When I was on expenses in another job, I never used to take the mickey, but I would never just have a sandwich for lunch. We would pop across the road to the Italian run by Portuguese for a Pizza or something. We would use our employee discount though. It was the same with coffees and breakfast - all claimed.
g00gleb00gle@reddit
If I am not in office due to work. They pay. Breakfast. Lunch or dinner. Along with any coffee etc.
We have a policy and I stick within it.
jonathing@reddit
I can't even claim diesel when I get called in out of hours. So my approach to claiming expenses is "don't"
AJMurphy_1986@reddit
If I can expense it, I will expense it.
barejokez@reddit
My boss explained to me that expenses are very one-sided. There will never be an error or decision that means you get more than you claim for, but you may sometimes get less back than you ask.
On that basis he always expensed everything that was in anyway related to work, and encouraged me to do the same. Worst case is it gets pushed back and unless you are going crazy you won't get fired for it!
That said, I don't take the piss. I don't buy stuff I wouldn't buy if I was paying, seems like a sensible rule of thumb.
ConfectionHelpful471@reddit
Take whatever I am eligible for under the policy without going out of my way to do so
AF_II@reddit
I'm forbidden from expensing lunch (because in theory I would have bought/made it anyway at work). I have strict limits for other meals (£8 for breakfast, including in a hotel, £20 for dinner, no alcohol allowed).
For travel and accommodation I have to ask permission, with an exact amount, in advance, so it's moot.
I work at a university.
TooManyMagnets@reddit
Wow that's a harsh regime. I don't understand that logic about lunch - sure, you can buy lunch at home but you can make it very cheaply in your kitchen. No such option if you're away. I'd be pushing back hard on that.
We have the no alcohol at dinner rule. I get the reasons for it, but it's such nonsense. A glass of wine or a pint with your evening meal is arguably good for employee wellbeing when you're on a stressful work trip.
AF_II@reddit
The only time I've managed this is when I had funding from an external body who explicitly said I could use it for lunch. Even then I had a cap on the amount enforced by the finance team.
TBH, we are in dispute over not having had a pay rise for 15 years, halving the value of our pensions, everyone's workload being at 100% or more, etc. "The expenses regime is mean" is item about 108 on the grievance list & you have to pick your battles.
Anyway, fun in the ivory tower, ain't it!
xxx654@reddit
My approach is to follow the policy. I work all over the world, our per diems mirror those of the US State department (reasonable without being either miserable or extravagant).
For anything not on the per diem, I submit an itemised receipt. We are allowed alcohol but I generally keep it to a beer or glass of wine with dinner if I’m having alcohol.
My main concern is having access to gym facilities. I’m not looking for the Ritz, but I want a clean 4 star with a gym. My employer allows us to expense a gym if none are on site. But again there are limits.
In my industry, people can be flying everywhere. Almost all companies in the sector understand the need for employee wellbeing, so we tend to travel in reasonable comfort, staying in reasonable hotels with decent facilities.
People are a lot less likely to take the piss if the expenses policy is fair.
chief_bustice@reddit
Check the company policy then just use the maximum amount.
Matchaparrot@reddit
Follow the guidance in your employee handbook/HR
If it says you can claim lunch, claim it. Or if it says X amount per day, take it as is.
Djinjja-Ninja@reddit
I work from home usually, so if I travel for work and if I pay for it, it's going on my expenses claim.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, any and all travel, pretty much you name it I'm expensing it.
WhiteDiamondK@reddit
It really varies. I don’t go stupid. I don’t claim every coffee and snack, but a £4 meal deal isn’t bankrupting the company when I am away from home.
I’m always reasonable. I’ll often not have a full meal when I’m entitled to and before now I’ve stopped and had dinner at the restaurant in IKEA so I’m spending a fiver rather than a £15-20 minimum at a regular restaurant.
TheRiddlerTHFC@reddit
Firstly follow company rules. Thats the most important thing.
Secondly claim for anything you are legally allowed to claim for. If youre allowed to claim for lunch, claim it, even if you would have bought it anyway
TumbleweedDeep4878@reddit
I claim the bare minimum but i work for the government and the first political event I was aware of growing up was the mp expense scandal so it has given me the sense expenses are the Devil
No-Snow-9605@reddit
A few years ago our local MP put a banana on his expenses.
NOW THAT'S WHAT YOU CALL TAKING THE PISS !
hdhxuxufxufufiffif@reddit
I couldn't care less if my MP expensed a banana tbh, if they were down the cost of a banana in the course of undertaking their parliamentary work. It was enriching themselves with second homes that bothered me.
Fragrant_Bandicoot54@reddit
Expense everything I can. I'm traveling for them, not me.
I try and stick to the meal allowance but wont go down the value route. I'll eat something I like. Keeping to budget also depends on the area you are traveling to.
E.g. Dubai, Norway, Vegas are expensive and you can't stick within budget, so as long as I can justify it its fine.
Hotels, there is no set limit, so I'll pick something close to the location I'm working in.
Flights we can travel premium on long haul, short haul is economy, but you can upgrade to seats with more legroom etc.
PreferencePleasant53@reddit
I claim meals and drinks when I’m working away, as I shouldn’t be out of pocket on something I’ve not chosen to do. I won’t take the mick though
Emergency_Wealth7778@reddit
If it's in the expenses policy, claim it. Most work places aren't looking out for their staff so don't worry about them!
BlokeyBlokeBloke@reddit
You are wrong. It's that simple. I am away from my usual work, so work will pay for my expenses for that day. That includes lunch, cups of tea, dinner.
TooManyMagnets@reddit
Yes, they're right. Claim for everything you're allowed to claim, and research the maximum amounts before you go so you can 'treat yourself' to something better than you'd have gone for if it was your own money. That's not 'taking the piss', it's extracting the proper amount of value from the situation. Would you do the same for your monthly salary? No, you always take the full amount.
If work are sending you away, that's inconvenient for you - you're away from family, you have to cancel things, your health and wellbeing will probably suffer. Giving you expenses is the least they can do.
julemeister@reddit
I was on per diem of £25 a day 15 years ago. I would eat cheap to keep the balance each day. Just eat normally if you have to take receipts back. They will have it priced into the job, you are just lining their pockets by doing what you are doing.
julemeister@reddit
Don't take the piss though. They are the first people to get checked or booted if there is a slow down.
greytidalwave@reddit
I claim what I can. I'd normally take food from home, but when I'm working away I don't have access to a fridge, so therefore can't keep food at a safe temperature.
PixiePooper@reddit
My view is that generally you are being inconvenienced to some degree by going on trips for business (time away from friends / family and hobbies), and eating out and out of pocket expenses are some form of compensation.
I’d read the expense / trip policy and claim for what you are entitled too. I would be claiming all meals (including lunch, since you might not have the option to prepare food yourself, for example).
I don’t suppose that the business will give it a second thought unless you really take the mickey.
Mammyjam@reddit
Just do what your policy says. We get £15 for breakfast if you leave the house before 06:00, £15 for dinner if you're on site and £50 for tea if youre staying overnight or working past 20:00. It's a massive pain in the arse for me as a PM because clients won't pay for most of that but it's HR rules so you're golden.
Equivalent_Deer_8667@reddit
Most places have pretty clear policies, so as long as what you’re doing fits within that - it’s fine.
That said - I’ve worked places where managers would query things that were in policy, but in their view “expensive” (hotel choice etc) so sometimes easier to avoid the argument.
Icy_Pear1694@reddit
I'm over here kicking myself for forgetting to expense my £2.50 car parking last month 😄
MountainMuffin1980@reddit
I'd claim everything I'm entitled too. I just wouldn't take the piss by lying.
zah_ali@reddit
I’d claim for any expense whilst away – including lunch. Usually you have an allowance of X amount for lunch/dinner per day so as long as you’re within the limits for your company it’s all good even if it means going to a place you wouldn’t normally go to.
DownrightDrewski@reddit
I tend to be with someone more senior when I'm out with work, so per corporate policy they make the claims for lunch, dinner, and drinks. If I want to grab a coffee and expense it then I will, but, generally it's only travel and hotels that I need to claim for personally.
No thought at all to the costs, and as there's normally a customer there there's a lot of flexibility on spend.
Smeeble09@reddit
Travel, hotel, evening meal with drink or two I'll expense.
Lunch I'll buy (even though it costs more as I'm not paying for evening meal).
richpinn@reddit
If you have an allowance, use it all. It’s a drop in the ocean compared to your CEO’s monthly pay
Lonely-Job484@reddit
I do exactly what I would do if it was my business; so I don't p*** away money for the hell of it, but if I spend it and it's inside the rules I'll claim it. I won't always book most expensive flights/hotels I can, and I'll generally take a well located 3 or 4* over a lovely 5* that's a 20 minute cab away from where I'm going, but I won't fly Ryanair or stay in a hostel either.
seriousrikk@reddit
If I’m working away I claim everything I’m entitled to.
I’m away from home and I’m doing so to benefit my employer so it’s on them to make my time away as comfortable as possible.
When my last employer stopped allowing anything other than budget 2* hotels I stopped working away.
No_Actuary9100@reddit
I used to travel from UK to USA regularly … typically 1-2 weeks away from home.
To my mind it’s quite a big ask of an employee so I expensed freely.
I even upgraded my hire car to a 5.0L Ford Mustang once
Jennypenny2585@reddit
I claim for everything that can be classed as a ‘meal’ so off the table is the airport pint, train snacks etc
Definitely claim for your lunch… you have to pay more and have less options when you travel
Youtalkingtomyboobs@reddit
We’re quite limited these days on what we can claim without it being scrutinised. When I travel to the office at the other site (not my main workplace) I claim mileage and parking, but not substance as I’d need to eat and drink anyway. However if I’m away on a conference then yes, I’ll claim for everything, apart from alcohol, as policy dictates we’re not allowed to claim that.
melanie110@reddit
One job it was claim from the moment you left the house, the next job was just dinner. Another one was within reason, this one is absolutely anything but I always take my own lunch and breakfast with me if I’m on the road. I will expense water and stuff like that cos I chug loads but always have some in my car. I might get a brew. If I fancy something really different I’ll expense it but I’m watching what I eat at services can totally lead me astray
Mr-Messy@reddit
I am being made to work away from my usual location (home) so I expense pretty much everything, within reason.
Petrol
Breakfast (if not included with hotel)
Lunch
Dinner
If I am away for a while, I will do mini shop and expense that!
Arlacx@reddit
My partner often has to travel and they get an allowance for food, very generous allowance.. £20 each for lunch and much more for evening meals.. Her colleague insists on maxing out the allowance every single time they’re out! She says she can’t physically eat £20 worth of food just for lunch but somehow he manages to max out all allowances. In terms of mileage she won’t claim if she is travelling somewhere that’s less distance than from home to the office. If it’s more, she will claim her mileage.
quartersessions@reddit
I lose out on a lot because I can't be bothered with putting in expenses claims. I was spoiled at a previous employer where I literally just forwarded photos of receipts to someone.
If there's any sort of complexity to it, however, I quite often don't bother unless it's something about £30+. When I'm doing travel, I'll generally be flying or on the train - and get that and hotels booked for me usually.
winjer@reddit
Just follow the policy and claim whatever it tells you. That's why there is one. You should absolutely claim your lunch to the maximum allowed when travelling. If that means getting a better lunch then do it.
katie-kaboom@reddit
If you're not travelling you have the option to bring your lunch from home, rather than buy it. You're being required by the company to purchase lunch. You should expense it. Why should you cover the required costs of your travel for your company?
naivri@reddit
Claim everything the policy allows.
Would I be buying lunch, yes, but I wouldn’t be going to a shop and buying it where it is more expensive than eg bulk cooked lunches.
Do I claim for a coffee when I stop during a 4 hour drive when I would have a coffee anyway? Yes, a Costa Costa more than a spoon on Nescafé and a kettle.
No one is going to come to you and say “you have been very prudent with your expenses” and you better believe if you spend over on eg dinner “but I haven’t been buying much in expenses” won’t stop them from denying the claim
grumpyaskate@reddit
My work policy is a bit tight anyway, something like £20/day for both lunch and dinner which when you have to eat out is actually not that much. I would usually get a meal deal for lunch and then go to spoons or a chippy for dinner, a restaurant if I have the spare budget. I wouldn't claim for coffees or anything else even if there was room left in the budget because I think that's a bit silly but lunch and dinner I will absolutely claim, just eating whatever I fancy as long as within budget.
Delicious_Zombie5736@reddit
If you're away from home for work you don't have the ability to make your own lunch so I would be claiming it.
dolce-ragazzo@reddit
They are right, you are wrong.
Claim as much as you can. If they haven’t said anything yet, keep testing the limit.
Amazing-Visual-2919@reddit
I know the secretary who worked for the boss of a research lab. He's in charge of over 1000 people and he claimed for absolutely everything. Even down to a tunnel fee that was £2 or so.
So I'd not under claim - he must be on ten or twenty times the normal salary.
SmartPipe3882@reddit
I adhere to the policy as written. I take a very “you’ve expressly written that this is what I may do, so that’s what I will do”
I will spend absolutely maximum I can get away with on the hotel rate, I will claim the lunch and dinner, I’ll claim the mileage, the lot.
If you’re going to ask me to traipse off somewhere to make you money, I’ll get what I can out of it.
Maximus-Clueless@reddit
Claim the absolute maximum you can. I used to claim for a massive lunch and then give half of it to the homeless outside the hotel lol
mrfatchance@reddit
Are you the boss by any chance?
Peanut0151@reddit
I claim whatever the policy allows me to claim. If people are taking the piss, the policy needs looking at. But you should do whatever feels right to you
BaBaFiCo@reddit
I claim everything I'm entitled to, but I don't take the piss. So if lunch is covered (usually only in certain circumstances) then I'm claiming. If I'm going out for dinner then I'm ordering as much as want.
cloakandagger123@reddit
Shouldn't worry about taking the piss- you can claim for subsistence when working away from your normal office, provided you are traveling to a temporary workplace or working outside your normal pattern. Expenses must be for food/drink purchased while traveling or staying overnight and not for daily commutes. Just keep a VAT receipt
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