Work expenses no credit card

LegacyUser

My husbands job requires him to travel several times a month. His employer has promised him a company credit card for the last 12 months and it’s still not happening. My husbands bad credit means he doesn’t have a personal credit card. So all the travel expenses are coming from his wages, this month alone that was €1000. We can’t afford this. He claims it back but it happens again the next month so it’s a vicious circle. And it’s money that is then not available to us to use, save, spend on emergencies or even a treat for the kids.
We are struggling financially, living month to month with no respite from the drudgery. Our marriage is suffering as a result.
He won’t force the issue with work as he’s afraid to rock the boat. So he’s rather have me angry as hell about it than make a stand in work. I’m so sick of it.
Has anyone any advice?
I feel like I’m talking to a brick wall.
I haven’t have a break away in nearly 10yrs, he’s away travelling all over Europe, ok it’s work, but it’s away from the kids, staying in a hotel, meals and nights out socialising.
He then tells me I can go away whenever I want, but with what?! We have no spare cash!
I’m at a loss now as to what to do. We’re going round and round in circles, he refuses to talk about it, won’t see a counsellor with me and these financial issues are causing such a huge issue in the marriage and it’s a miserable existence.

AndrewJRenko

Most employers don't provide a company credit card in my experience. Some of the large multi nationals might.

Is there any way you can get a credit card with a small limit and give him a card?

dudara

A lot of companies will give a cash advances, which can be offset against the expenses. He could ask him employer if they will do this.

antix80

I think you trust your husbands version of events too much. The whole thing sounds very suspicious.

I think this is more suited to PI than work problems.

OMM 0000

When I was around 22, my girlfriend at the time was still a student. I got a credit card in my name, and got a duplicate card for her.

Can you do this?

Dav010

antix80 wrote: »

I think you trust your husbands version of events too much. The whole thing sounds very suspicious.

I think this is more suited to PI than work problems.

Wow. As if the op wasn’t stressed enough. You must have missed the part where his expenses are reimbursed each month by his employer.

OMM 0000

antix80 wrote: »

I think you trust your husbands version of events too much. The whole thing sounds very suspicious.

I think this is more suited to PI than work problems.

Are you suggesting he's cheating on her...?

I also have to travel for work. My expenses are also 1000+ each month.

What her husband is doing is normal. He just doesn't have a credit card to make things easier.

EDIT to say: His work stuff is normal. Obviously the not talking etc. isn't normal.

killbillvol2

antix80 wrote: »

I think you trust your husbands version of events too much. The whole thing sounds very suspicious.

I think this is more suited to PI than work problems.

You're either being deliberately provocative or you're not very bright.

This is the way most companies work nowadays, the employee runs up the expenses and claims them back. That's no help to the OP though.

antix80

My point is a €1000 cash advance isn't going to fix the problem the op is having. And her husband has a history of financial problems.. He might have drink or gambling problems.

Dav010

antix80 wrote: »

My point is a €1000 cash advance isn't going to fix the problem the op is having. And her husband has a history of financial problems.. He might have drink or gambling problems.

Where do you see that? There are a multitude of reasons why someone could have a poor credit rating through no fault of there own. You are making up your own story, the op is asking if it is usual for companies not to give credit cards and advice on how best to alleviate the financial burden of using wages to pay for expenses and then have to wait to get expenses back.

OMM 0000

antix80 wrote: »

My point is a €1000 cash advance isn't going to fix the problem the op is having. And her husband has a history of financial problems.. He might have drink or gambling problems.

It's possible he's putting his head in the sand, or lying, or cheating, or whatever, but the OP was specifically asking about how to ease the financial situation regarding expenses.

FishOnABike

antix80 wrote: »

My point is a €1000 cash advance isn't going to fix the problem the op is having. And her husband has a history of financial problems.. He might have drink or gambling problems.

I don't see where you get this from. There's nothing in the OP's post to suggest anything but a bad credit history / rating making it difficult for her husband to get a credit card with a reasonable credit limit and cash flow problems being caused by having to pay work expenses up front out of current salary.

Most people would find it difficult to manage paying significant work travel expenses out of their own pocket and claiming them back in arrears. Depending on expenses and payroll cycles it could be over a month before expenses are reimbursed.

If work related travel is very regular a rolling cash advance to cover the average monthly work related expenses would solve the cash flow problem but it would take discipline to ensure it is ringfenced for wok expenses and not dipped into for unexpected cost of living expenses.

IITYWYBMAD

antix80 wrote: »

My point is a €1000 cash advance isn't going to fix the problem the op is having. And her husband has a history of financial problems.. He might have drink or gambling problems.

Christ on a stick. We're less than 10 years out of the worst recession this country probably ever had, rents are at an all time high, and this is the type of drivel people have to listen to when asking for advice?

OP, most employers are pretty clued in and reactive, when it comes to situations like this. Personally, I find it unreasonable that an employee would have to bank roll the company for 1k+ per month, irrespective of the salary involved. I'm guessing that the employer does not know the effect that this burden is having on your home life. Your husband needs to address this as a matter of urgency.

Obviously, if you feel your relationship is at the stage that counselling is needed, that does bring other questions to a head, but I would suggest picking the lowest hanging fruit first, and get him to get this issue sorted.

antix80

I think people are missing the point. A cashflow issue like that should not prevent saving like op suggests.

If it's going on 10 years.. Well that's less than €2 a week to get out of this supposedly endless cycle of delays receiving expenses.

Op if your husband is happy with his (seemingly) low paid job that let's him jet around europe and spends €1000 a month on hotels and meals.. Well maybe he could get a higher paying job doing something else that doesnt come with travel and expenses.

Strumms

Insist on a cash advance. Otherwise you are loaning your employer money. You receive money from them not loan it to them.

If there is no cash advance available or company credit card given simply refuse the trip by telling them in email...

“I’m sorry but at the current moment I’m not in a position to finance the company to pay for the work trips which they require I do. I as you know CAN and am flexible regarding every facet of my employment here but like everyone I have personal and family commitments which driven by finances do not lend to me being able to lend my employer money to cover this work. Please let me know when you have come up with a fair , workable and appropriate alternative.”

Regards,

Xxxxx

That's kind of standard in the public service and a lot of employers follow that model too.

Travel and then submit a travel claim form and get reimbursed the next month.

OMM 0000

antix80 wrote: »

I think people are missing the point. A cashflow issue like that should not prevent saving like op suggests.

If it's going on 10 years.. Well that's less than €2 a week to get out of this supposedly endless cycle of delays receiving expenses.

Op if your husband is happy with his (seemingly) low paid job that let's him jet around europe and spends €1000 a month on hotels and meals.. Well maybe he could get a higher paying job doing something else that doesnt come with travel and expenses.

That wasn't your original point though.

Your original point was that he's cheating.

I agree there's something wrong with their cash flow / savings situation.

Strumms

Deleted User wrote: »

That's kind of standard in the public service and a lot of employers follow that model too.

Travel and then submit a travel claim form and get reimbursed the next month.

If the money is available to reimburse it will be there to advance also. It’s just the company being somewhat lazy, tight and pig ignorant.

my3cents

Strumms wrote: »

If the money is available to reimburse it will be there to advance also. It’s just the company being somewhat lazy, tight and pig ignorant.

Maybe the company knows it can filter real expenses that are reimbursed but won't pay in advance because they know they will never see the money again. There has to be a reason for someone not being able to get a credit card.

Toots

I know a guy who worked for a small company and had to do similar with expenses etc when he travelled. Company wasn't in a position to have company cards (it was a small family run one) and it worked out fine initially, but then my friend's wife lost her job so he wasn't in a position to fund his trips up front and then claim back expenses. What they ended up agreeing was the company would advance the money but he had to submit receipts for everything. Anything that wasn't covered by receipts had to be repaid either directly or be taken out of his wages.

AulWan

If expenses are recurring and reimbursed monthly, shouldn't his reimbursed expenses from the previous month also be paid with his salary, so it should break even, after the first month? *slightly confused*

Strumms

my3cents wrote: »

Maybe the company knows it can filter real expenses that are reimbursed but won't pay in advance because they know they will never see the money again. There has to be a reason for someone not being able to get a credit card.

If they advance me €1000 euros tomorrow for a trip and I come back with receipts and an expenses form that cover €850 of that. I owe them €150. I either hand over this cash on my return, it’s documented by giving me a receipt or it’s debited from my next pay. Simple.

FishOnABike

AulWan wrote: »

If expenses are recurring and reimbursed monthly, shouldn't his reimbursed expenses from the previous month also be paid with his salary, so it should break even, after the first month? *slightly confused*

Could be close to two months if expenses are reimbursed monthly an expenses claim just missed the cutoff date for inclusion in this months payroll.

Sure you get it back eventually but a lot of people would not be in a finanvial position to be continually out of pocket for a month or two.

Dav010

Strumms wrote: »

If they advance me €1000 euros tomorrow for a trip and I come back with receipts and an expenses form that cover €850 of that. I owe them €150. I either hand over this cash on my return, it’s documented by giving me a receipt or it’s debited from my next pay. Simple.

How is this helping the op?

As you have done in many other threads, you have decided your way is right, their way is wrong and the employee should not stand for it. The company does it this way, they are entitled to do it this way, the public service does it this way.

The best the ops husband can do is explain the difficult situation this puts him in and hope they accommodate him. Beyond that, it may be necessary to look for another job with less travel and a different way of doing things.

Try switching from warrior mode to helping/reality mode.

Strumms

Dav010 wrote: »

How is this helping the op?

As you have done in many other threads, you have decided your way is right, their way is wrong and the employee should not stand for it. The company does it this way, they are entitled to do it this way, the public service does it this way.

The best the ops husband can do is explain the difficult situation this puts him in and hope they accommodate him. Beyond that, it may be necessary to look for another job with less travel and a different way of doing things.

Try switching from warrior mode to helping/reality mode.

I’m in in the ‘mode’ of appraising the situation and coming up with the fair and appropriate mode of resolving the situation. The company has a responsibility that is pretty evident yet they are not going far enough to resolve satisfactory.

JustMe,K

We refuse to issue company cards to our employees because our CEO has a long held belief that people are more likely to use cards for things they wouldnt expense (like bottles of water etc). Without getting into the fact that he is being ridiculous and tight, its his view and his decision. Everyone is expected to front load expenses, and nothing is reimbursed without a receipt.

Speak to whoever deal with it and see if there is a way to manage the expenses better, I am sure they have a way around this. It might be that he does expenses weekly rather than monthly to help mitigate the outlays, depending on the size of the company. If an employee came to us and stated they could not afford to front load expenses, we would just have to find a way round it. As it stands when I know people have expensive periods in their lives, I book flights, pre pay hotels etc on the company cards instead of the employee front loading them which helps, as well as processing expenses within a couple of days when they are more than €100. The bottom line is the person responsible for the processing of the expenses should be able to come up with a solution, or refer it to someone who can.

heroics

In a previous company I worked in they would book and pay for flights/accomodation on a company card and then I only claimed for other expenses which reduced the amount dramatically.

Could your husbands company do something similar.

Tombo2001

IITYWYBMAD wrote: »

Christ on a stick. We're less than 10 years out of the worst recession this country probably ever had, rents are at an all time high, and this is the type of drivel people have to listen to when asking for advice?

OP, most employers are pretty clued in and reactive, when it comes to situations like this. Personally, I find it unreasonable that an employee would have to bank roll the company for 1k+ per month, irrespective of the salary involved. I'm guessing that the employer does not know the effect that this burden is having on your home life. Your husband needs to address this as a matter of urgency.

Obviously, if you feel your relationship is at the stage that counselling is needed, that does bring other questions to a head, but I would suggest picking the lowest hanging fruit first, and get him to get this issue sorted.

Unreasonable but normal.

That's life. Expenses are paid retrospectively, for most costs. Because they are incurred on the road.

Flights you pay in advance. Others no.

By all means go in and ask a company to change their accounting practices for expenses, reason being that you don't like it.

Use phrases like 'Christ on a Stick' to the head accountant, and refer to the recession and rents and so on.

This is not 'low hanging fruit'.

Tombo2001

OP

Can I ask - if this travel expenses issue ended tomorrow - would your personal finance issues then be resolved? Or would your partner find some other reason to leave you with no cash at the end of the month?

Jim2007

antix80 wrote: »

My point is a €1000 cash advance isn't going to fix the problem the op is having. And her husband has a history of financial problems.. He might have drink or gambling problems.

Obviously you have a lot of issues to dealt with and projecting them on to other people will not help.

Tombo2001

JustMe,K wrote: »

We refuse to issue company cards to our employees because our CEO has a long held belief that people are more likely to use cards for things they wouldnt expense (like bottles of water etc). Without getting into the fact that he is being ridiculous and tight, its his view and his decision. Everyone is expected to front load expenses, and nothing is reimbursed without a receipt.

Speak to whoever deal with it and see if there is a way to manage the expenses better, I am sure they have a way around this. It might be that he does expenses weekly rather than monthly to help mitigate the outlays, depending on the size of the company. If an employee came to us and stated they could not afford to front load expenses, we would just have to find a way round it. As it stands when I know people have expensive periods in their lives, I book flights, pre pay hotels etc on the company cards instead of the employee front loading them which helps, as well as processing expenses within a couple of days when they are more than €100. The bottom line is the person responsible for the processing of the expenses should be able to come up with a solution, or refer it to someone who can.

How exactly is OP supposed to go and negotiate terms for expenses with her Husbands employer?