According to a survey carried out by Pleo, the solution for simplify and digitize corporate expense managementWhether out of fear or embarrassment, many employees they do not report these expenses to the company. 80% acknowledge that they have not submitted certain invoices for fear that the expense will be perceived as too small. And another 70% have avoided it because of the modesty they feel when requesting this refund.
Therefore, in Spain it is common for employees to use their own money to pay business expenses. 80% do it at least once a month. This situation is creating discomfort in many templates since, in addition to generating stress, it affects the economic situation of many workers. 45% have to wait more than a week to get their money back.
In other cases, the reason is the expense management process dictated by the company. On many occasions it is inefficient, slow or complex, which leads many employees to dispense with reporting a work expense. On average, employees lose €93 per year for this reason. For example, an employee who works from 24 to 65 years old will end up losing more than 3,800 euros during his working life. In addition, in most cases they are required to present certain documentation (tickets or receipts), which is not always at hand. Almost half of the employees have not been able to get their money back because they have lost their proof of payment.
Whatever the reason, the reality is that workers are losing part of their income for assuming expenses that correspond to their company and not reporting them. 75% of employees recognize that this is the case, and almost 60% point out that on some occasion having assumed company expenses has prevented them from being able to meet a financial obligation (such as paying a bill or buying food).
Telephone, transport and material for teleworking
Finally, another reason behind employees assuming labor expenses that may not correspond to them is the lack of clarity about who should pay them. While 45% of employees feel comfortable asking their company for the reimbursement of business travel expensesthe posture changes with invoices related to remote work, the use of public transport or professional development activities.
The majority of Spaniards who telecommute do not feel comfortable asking their company to pay the electricity bill (75%), the Internet bill (69%), the telephone bill (65%) or material for teleworking (74%). ). Neither do those who use public transport to go to meetings (64%) or those who attend training or events to improve their professional skills (64%).
“Business expenses are part of the day-to-day life of many employees, but this should in no case mean a loss of their purchasing power. All workers must be aware of their company’s expense policy, know those costs from which they are exempt and have corporate tools to deal with them or, failing that, to recover the money advanced quickly”, explains Álvaro Dexeus, responsible for southern Europe at Pleo.
For their part, companies should work to establish well-defined and effective expense management processes. In this way, they will not only avoid staff discomfort but also gain a complete and accurate view of all business expenses.
