Expense reports should be straightforward, but some companies turn them into a bureaucratic nightmare.

What would you do if your employer asked you to travel for work, then refused to reimburse your full expenses, delaying your payment for weeks over petty technicalities? Would you keep playing by their rules? Or would you find a way to get your time and money’s worth?

In the following story, one employee finds himself in this exact situation and gets revenge without anyone even noticing. Here’s what happened.

Expense Report Revenge…

I was a training specialist at a previous employer, and I was pretty good at it. I love to share information and help people understand things that are new or difficult for them. I have a good rapport with all staff and new hires.

Our company hired an outside contractor to take over a portion of the business that was unprofitable but expected in our industry (people want it even though it may not be the best product for them, or it is used short-term).

A few weeks after the switch, the company realized that the new group did not know how to handle our customers. For example, we were not allowed to say “No.” It was “I’ll see what I can do.”

It was decided that they would send a team of people to train them on what our customers expected and how to handle them. I was chosen to be part of that team. But, there was a problem – I was hourly.

They turned the situation around on him.

Cue corporate greed. They decided to promote me and make me salary.

Okay. Now, I can’t claim any extra hours for the upcoming trip. It became expected and part of the day. I decided with the small bump in pay – I wouldn’t complain and just accept it.

The trip went well. In fact, everything flowed nicely. We returned, and I had to fill out my first expense report. During the trip, I made an effort to save money and chose to go grocery shopping instead of restaurants for all my meals. I liked the control of it, too—I knew what I was getting.

Big mistake.

My total expense report for the time away was $268.00. Do you think they paid it? [Insert laughter here].

It took six weeks just to get the report approved.

Over the course of six weeks, I would submit the report, and they would send it back with one item declined and asking me to fix it and resubmit. Over and over again.

At one point – going into the 3rd or, 4th week – I needed that little bit of money to cover the last part of my rent and after letting them know the bind I was in – their response was “Next time, you should consider declining the trip if it would put you in that type of financial bind.” Ugh.

I read the whole expense report section line by line, making sure they couldn’t/wouldn’t send it back again. I am a bit of a gym rat and did visit their local gym during the visit.

At first, I left it off the expense report—just a few bucks, eh? Luckily, I saved that receipt and added it during one of the later revisions. They attempted to deny it, and I quoted the portion of the handbook that showed it was an approved expense (they were not happy).

When he finally received the check, it was for way less than he anticipated.

[Insert heartbreaking tiny violin music for the Accounts Payable Department]

When all was said and done, I got a check for $84.00.

I was livid.

I thought about what I could do and chose the following:

Being a vanpool driver, after our morning meeting, I would take the van and drive to a nearby coffee shop to get my morning latte. Inside the building, coffee was suddenly deemed inferior and undrinkable. I would even take people with me on a morning excursion.

Then one day, he had enough and went back to normal.

My lunch break lasted 90 minutes. I would bring the LA Times with me and, after eating, sit in my cubicle and read.

And, finally, I slowed down on my work. Purposely, dragging my feet to get any and all projects completed. It was so relaxing.

This went on for many days until one day, while reading the paper, I had the thought, “That’s enough.” I was back to being a regular, normal, good employee.

Sad/Interesting thing in all this? They didn’t even notice.

Because I was already established and had good rapport with everyone – life went on. I got my money’s worth – learned a valuable lesson and got my revenge without nary a peep from the peanut gallery…

Wow! That must’ve been one complicated expense report. Sheesh.

Let’s see what the readers over at Reddit think about this story.

This person doesn’t get the revenge.

Yet another person who doesn’t understand.

Here’s someone who had a similar experience.

According to this person, the revenge would’ve been this.

That’s one way to collect.

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