This year, it is safe to say that many organizations have discovered gaps in their expense policies; namely, what is and is not allowed on the company’s dime related to employees working remotely. You have probably seen every type of expense reimbursement request imaginable. However, someone recently contacted me to share a surprising one. Some work-from-home employees now think their employers owe them for things like miles and lunches they incur when they have to commute in to the office for one reason or another. It is up to your policies and the responsible reviewers or approvers to stop whatever your organization deems unreasonable.
Concerning remote workers, following is a checklist of items that should be addressed within your policies and procedures. It serves as a summary of what I have been writing about throughout 2020. The matter is no longer limited to just business continuity planning, as the pandemic has, in many cases, permanently altered how we work.
Identify Potential Gaps
Do your policies address:
which employees, based on job role or other characteristic, are allowed to purchase items to support work-from-home arrangements?
how frequently an employee must work from home to be eligible for company-paid expenses?
what is allowed to be purchased for home offices, whether low value (e.g., sticky notes) or “big ticket” like a chair?
the quality/dollar limit allowed for approved purchases?
which expenses are considered one-time purchases and what can be replenished (and how often)?
approved vendors for allowed purchases?
whether your organization will pay any portion of an Internet upgrade or monthly bills for Internet connectivity, cell phone usage, and/or electricity?
the purchase-to-pay process employees should follow, as discussed in an earlier blog post? (Hint: Consider a Commercial Card solution).
whether it will pay for any expenses related to a work-from-home employee coming in to the office?
Answering “no” to any of the above indicates your organization should consider making policy updates to avoid future headaches and unnecessary expenses.
Ensure Accountability
Besides ensuring a robust policy, your organization should prepare for policy violations. Who is responsible for policy enforcement? Regardless, it makes sense to train department managers and the accounts payable team on what to do if they encounter a non-compliant purchase by an employee.
Upcoming Webinars
To help your organization create strong policies and procedures, AP Now has scheduled the following first quarter webinars. I will be delivering the second one below.
January 12, 2021: Creating an Effective Accounts Payable Policy and Procedures Manual
March 25, 2021: Creating a Robust P-card Policy and Procedures Manual
Photo by Morgan Vander Hart on Unsplash
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About the Author
Blog post author Lynn Larson, CPCP, launched Recharged Education in 2014. With 20 years of Commercial Card experience, her mission is to make industry education readily accessible to all. Learn more…