Company policies and perks for employees are about as diverse as the companies themselves.
When this employee requested reimbursement as part of their benefits, they found themselves tangled in a web of outdated policies, overlooked details, and bureaucratic hurdles.
With a clever plot, they found a way to benefit from their company’s shortcomings.
Read on for the full story!
Must be less than $150, right?
So I joined a new company in the middle of Covid.
My last 4 jobs were pretty similar when it came to mobile bill reimbursements. Each reimbursed a mobile bill up-to $30 monthly or $90 quarterly or $360 annually.
I used to take an annual plan and submitted bills at the end of the financial year.
This employer takes a different approach.
My new company provides this reimbursement as a part of total compensation. It provides $50 per month, and actually keeps $600 separate for this.
At the end of the financial year, whatever amount I have applied for reimbursement is reimbursed, and the rest of the $600 is added to my last month’s salary.
The reimbursed amount becomes tax-free.
At the end of 2022, I submit my annual phone bill. It’s ~$360.
But the employee soon runs into trouble.
Accounts department rejects it. Apparently a single reimbursement request cannot be more than $150.
They suggest that I submit this monthly.
I wonder, how does a monthly reimbursement go as high as $150? Let’s ask them.
They’re hit with pushback from the accounting department, so they go digging elsewhere.
Accounts cannot give that info.
I get in touch with Finance and HR, and after going through several hoops, I find out that they updated the policy regarding monthly mobile bill upper limit as $50, but forgot to update total reimbursement amount and reimbursable categories.
They learn some information from HR.
Apparently you can reimburse not just mobile bill, but a lot of other stuff, such as:
- Internet bill, up-to $50 monthly, as long as you can show at least 4 days WFH in a month
- Electricity bill, up-to $50 monthly, as long as you can show at least 4 days WFH in a month
Only $50 monthly mobile bill is part of my total compensation, the other reimbursements would be additional pay on top of everything.
Now, I mostly work from home.
I have been to the office a total of 10 days since I joined this company in March of 2022.
After their research, they begin plotting.
Cue MC.
At the end of 2023-24 financial year, I had reimbursed the following:
- $600 of mobile bill. Plan includes Netflix, 4 child numbers (wife, both parents, 1 additional for me)
- $597 of Internet bill
- $597 of Electricity bill
I submitted bills at the end of every month, and always kept the total at $149.50.
But they still got pushback.
Every other month, Accounts would reject it saying it has gone above $50, and I would reply back with all the unchanged policy documents.
In the middle of the year, they decided to update the policy. They only kept the mobile bill policy in the intranet, removed the rest.
But the employee kept a paper trail.
But I had the documents downloaded, so it was no problem.
Whenever someone would say that the policy documents were no longer valid, I would ask for updated documents, and they would fail to provide one.
They finally updated all policy documents in June of 2024.
They’re already gearing up to stick it to them again.
I am yet to inform them that I got a promotion, and the documents that are applicable at my level are still not updated.
They will find that out once I submit this month’s bills.
My limits have doubled since my previous position.
That’s what you get for not updating your policies in a timely manner.
What did redditors have to say?
Just because you work for the company doesn’t mean you can’t also make the company work for you!
The company is acting rather fishy.
Any reimbursement at all feels like a luxury to this redditor.
A user with inside knowledge advises this employee to watch their back.
This unorganized reimbursement process highlights not only the shortcomings in their policies, but the importance of vigilance and persistence.
Otherwise, savvy employees are right to take advantage.
If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.