Strict expense policies can sometimes feel unnecessary.

The following story involves an employee who constantly traveled for work with a cash allowance.

He usually carried a £300 cash float and submitted expenses after traveling across Europe several days a week.

When accounting sent him a letter demanding repayment of 29p, he did exactly what was asked… but in a cheeky way.

Read the full story below for all the details.

Happy to pay!

I used to travel loads with work, two to three days a week, every week, at late notice, all over Europe.

The company I work for used to like you to have a cash advance.

And then return any unspent funds and submit receipts for the remainder.

If you had any over-receipting, you had to pay it back, or they’d pay you back into your bank.

This employee received an internal mail from the company.

I was travelling so much that I didn’t bother returning from individual trips.

I’d just refill my float money (approx. £300) and put my expenses in.

After a year of this, the travel stopped, so I returned the float money and completed the final expenses.

A couple of weeks later, I got the standard letter through internal mail saying that my expenses were out by 29p.

(I’m based at a branch 100 miles from accounting)

His boss gave him a penny when he found out about his expenses.

I needed to either sign the reply for them to deduct it from my wages, which is what everyone normally does.

Or return the payment in cash.

Of course, I saw this and chuckled, and my boss asked me what I was laughing at.

I passed him the letter, which he laughed at as well.

Then he passed me a penny and said, “There’s one to get you started.”

He used an expensive envelope

I went home that night, broke out the penny jar, and got the remaining 28p in pennies.

I then went into work the next day and got a brand-new envelope.

For internal mail, they liked you to reuse where possible.

I got the expensive headed notepaper out of stationery and wrote, “Please find the funds enclosed.”

Then, I sent it back via internal mail. I’m hopeful my reply cost them more than the 29p. 😊

Wow! Talk about malicious compliance.

Honestly, asking an employee to settle a tiny 29p difference seems unnecessary.

OP’s response was harmless and amusing.

And I think he really has a good sense of humor for thinking about using pennies and an expensive envelope to comply with the expense.

Let’s find out what others have to say about this.

Lol. Here’s an idea…

And another one.

This user shares their personal thoughts.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a grocery cashier who gets into a standoff with a customer who hasn’t paid for everything in their basket.

Here’s a valid point.

Finally, this one’s impressed.

They wanted every penny, and every penny they got!