why do i bother?

[Lil Miss Bump]

i.ve worked for a company since july09 and when we claim expenses we put down how many miles we've travelled. Today our adminstrator has rung and said they need receipts for the petrol and that they can't pay the expenses back without them.wtf?! Firstly why change your mind now and secondly those forms got to them on monday morning and they're supposed to be back in ur account within 2 days so why now?! I don't get receipts for petrol-it's just another thing to carry around. So now wtf am i supposed to do? It's 330 they owe me which needs to keep us going until 22nd december and we have nothing.aaaaaaaaaah!

[Kells xx]

ok surely they have to give you any changes to the procedure in writing and a certain amount of time before they implement these changes?

i would speak to them and say that you do ot have the reciepts but can prove that you have been to those places and that you will provide proof of your next jo however you have not kept the receipts this time

get on to hr and ask them for advice and the citizens advice bureau and see what they have to say

i hope you get it fixed mate x

[Lisa (Fragglebabe)]

They definately need to give you changes in proceedure in writing hun

[Tikaani&Aiyana]

Yup agree with the above!

Im sure if you kick up enough of a fuss and take it to the senior management they will back down.

Hope it gets sorted hun xx

[slaves to kaya]

I would definately contact CAB hun, hang in there, legally they have to pay you. Do you have any paperwork from them regarding petrol claims. If so and it contains nothing about providing receipts then i would send them a copy Hope you manage to get this sorted

[instant-classic]

Diz did you put the petrol on credit or debit cards ?? can you use statements from them as proof as purchase if not i'm sure we could all send you a few petrol receipts to send on to them !!!!!

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

yep ill say the same as martin, if u put them on a card you can get statements, if not kick up a fuss n give um what for

[Lil Miss Bump]

well i've sent this...............

To All,

As I write this email I am a mixture of absolutely fuming and incredibly upset.

Firstly I had a phonecall yesterday evening at 6pm asking where my data stick was when we were told via email

'This is a quick note to let you know that we are moving office to Store St., by Bloomsbury. We shan't be settled there until the end of next week, most likely. So - please if you have not posted in data-sticks etc., please direct them to the current address, as below. We shall be collecting mail until we are settled in the new offices in Store St.'

So, as normal my data stick was sent special delivery on Saturday after the data collection and was delivered on Monday morning-I always do it this way as my expenses are sent in with the stick and Sue is extremely quick to get them back to us which we all very much appreciate.

If the post is not being checked at that address why tell all of us who were finishing the data collection that week to send them there???

However, I was really upset to receive a voicemail message this morning stating that my expenses will not be paid until I have sent in petrol receipts for my milage. Not once since starting this project have I sent in petrol receipts with my expenses claims. I put my milage on there-which anyone can click on a map work out the milage and that for diversions etc and see that I am honest.I do not get receipts for petrol as I have never needed to-I have also rang other researchers on the project this morning who have all said that they put their milage not petrol receipts-some of them travelling hundreds of miles in distance to and from a destination)so has this now changed??

Currently I have approx £200-£300 of expenses waiting to come back to me, I moved house last weekend after a week of data collection and now because of not having my expenses paid back this week my partner now does not have the funds to go to work next week. I have also had to travel to a friend's house in Manchester to use their internet as because of only just moving in we don't have a connection yet.

We RELY on the money coming back to us and is putting us under a lot of stress thinking that we do not have this coming back to us when it should be-especially when we make sure that it is with you first thing on a Monday morning.

(In relation to this I was actually informed by one person at one point that expenses were only paid out once a month-which then when I questioned this I was told was incorrect and the money was in my account within 24hrs and has never been more than a few days to come back to me)

I love working as part of this project in the respect of the work, the data collection, the staff we meet inside the institutions. I love every second I spend doing this work and am constantly wanting to do more-I even take in sweets, cake and biscuits paid for from my own pocket to the members of staff who have to ferry us around constantly whilst we are in the institutions to let them know that I really appreciate all the help they give us.

But as researchers on the project we are constantly getting mixed messages. Firstly why when I lived in Eccles less than 5mins away from Barton Moss do you pay expenses for someone else to go? Then why send someone for a day from somewhere that is a 3 hr drive away to Hindley when you could have sent someone closer for a longer period of time or just ask one of us to do longer hours? Surely this works out more cost efficient? Rachel and I have no other jobs and are crying out for hours but other people that have other things to do are being told they NEED to go to places when we could go instead.

I dont want to leave this project but after being told earlier this month that I would not be paid until 22nd December as my time sheet was in on the Monday morning (15th) and cut off was Friday (12th) when I have always been told as long as it is in before the 16th there isn't usually a problem (and there hasn't been in the past) I was relying on my expenses to keep our family afloat until 22nd December which obviously I now do not have.

I love being a part of this project and have given up a lot of commitments to make sure that I have been able to do every wave of collection and I hope to continue doing so.

Kind Regards

so yeah-some stuff that kinda needed to be said.........if some sentences dont make sense it's bcz i've taken some personal data out! lol............im sure they'll give me the money back-they can't not......but the thing is it should've been in my account by today at the latest, whereas if she even puts it in 2mro we wont get it til mid next week

[Lil Miss Bump]

well....talk about lighting a fire under people!! i have had 2 phonecalls apologising and an email-and my expenses should be going in 2mro! i also got told i am very appreciated and do excellent work and they wouldn't want to lose me-which was nice to hear! fingers crossed everything will go ok from now on!!

[Saffmonster]

Good to hear!! :-)

I bet that's a HUGE relief to you.

[Andy]

It's so sad that people in authority think they can implement changes Ad Hoc, without notification.

ALL companies CAN make BACS payments to your account within 24hrs. They will always say they can't, what they mean is they are charged a fee

for making payments outside their normal payment window.

Stress to them the hardship you are incurring as a result of their change of premises and changing without notification the times and dates by which receipts and invoices must be submitted.

Explain further that if they do not pay up, that you will be seeking legal advice as they have broken the terms and conditions of your employment by changing things without adequate notification, and as a result you are going into debt, and may seek compensation for the said debt and the cost of legal representation necessary to resolve the issue brought about by the afore mentioned breaking of their terms and conditions of employment.

That is usually enough to make someone in authority turn around and authorise the emergency BACS payment.

Good luck hun.

[vinny1275]

Good that they sorted it out Diz. One thing I will say: it's an hmrc requirement that companies take receipts for mileage claims, you need.receipts worth at least a third of the value you're claiming - its been like that for a couple of years now (the reason being that you don't pay income tax on expenses, so if companies pay out expenses without them, they can be in the poop with the tax man.) I always get receipts when I fill up...

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

glad they have sorted it

[lebe03]

As others have already said your employer cannot change procedures without giving employees sufficient notice. They can also make one-off payments anytime they wish or could even pay you in cash should the need arise.

I hope the money owed reaches your account by tomorrow but if it doesn't I would suggest speaking directly to your manager for them to rectify the situation immediately plus compensation of course for the distress caused.

[Andy]

Oh, so glad it's sorted.

[Sarah]

glad you've got it sorted

[Lisa (Fragglebabe)]

Great news hun x

[Lil Miss Bump]

thanks guys. The project i work for is slightly different than your normal job. It is a research project that has been funded by the ministry of justice so therefore no managers or anything like that,its the guy who is the administrator who is just useless,flaps constantly and can't organise anyone! Drives all of us mad! But anyway enough moaning.....thanks for your thoughts-and thanks to lisa and dave for letting me use ur internet to email them! Fingers crossed the money will be in today Xxxxx

[mrs_aggie]

Pleased you got it sorted Diz, hope the money is there today x