New management always thinks they know how to “fix” things, even when nothing is broken.

So, what would you do if your company suddenly changed its expense policy, forcing you to track every penny spent instead of receiving a simple per diem?

Would you learn the new system?

Or would you push the new policy to the limit?

In the following story, one employee finds himself in this very scenario and decides to fight back.

Here’s what he did.

No keeping per diem money, no receipts = no reimbursement

A couple of decades ago, I traveled a lot for business, between 30 and 35 weeks a year.

Initially, I looked forward to the romance of travel, only to discover it was endless awakenings, feeling like the Rohypnol had just started to wear off.

But I digress.

I had a really great boss who gave us a standard meal per diem.

I think it was $30 per day.

This worked great for me.

I’d grab the complimentary continental breakfast in the lobby, typically be too busy to eat lunch, and grab something from Subway on the way back to the hotel.

Not the healthiest way to live, but it added up to an extra $100+ per week.

Eventually he sells the company to a new boss.

With a new boss comes a new way of doing things.

I return from a trip and submit my per diem request.

He denies it.

And since I didn’t keep the receipts, I had to pay for all my own meals on that trip.

I explained the previous arrangement and ask if we could do it that way.

He tells me, “No if you don’t have a receipt, you don’t get reimbursed.”

He drafted and printed the policy.

Three meals a day, no more than a 15% tip, no room service, no snacks, no desserts, no alcohol.

OK, have it your way.

My next trip was to the Bay Area of California, which was insanely overpriced then, too.

I decided to follow the new policy to the letter.

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so steak and eggs are the smart way to start the day at the nearby four-star hotel.

The new expense policy turned into a lot more money.

Realizing I wasn’t getting enough steak and lobster in my diet, I went for the “Surf and Turf” special for dinner.

And since I wouldn’t have time for lunch the next day, another to go, please, kind sir!

It was a glorious week of finding the most expensive things I could both (a) pronounce and (b) eat.

I returned to the office and submitted my expenses, with receipts, of course!

Instead of $150 that week, the company wrote me a check for over $700.

The new boss quickly rescinded that policy, allowing me my $30 per diem again, and I could keep what I didn’t use.

Wow! That’s one way to force some change.

Let’s see how the readers over at Reddit relate to this experience.

This is so true!

Nice! He had a good system.

Their employees must’ve loved this.

Here’s a story that sounds almost unbelievable.

Per Diem is supposed to be repayment for the inconvenience of being away from home and having to eat.

In other words, it’s your money, and you should be able to spend it how you want.

If you liked that post, check out this one about an employee that got revenge on HR when they refused to reimburse his travel.