As some of you may know, I got a new job about seven months ago, and I really like it overall. However, I’ve encountered a problem that I’m not sure how to handle.
Through the course of my job, I get several “invitations” to functions–luncheons, dinners, events. Most of these are fundraisers, and the fees are anywhere from $35 a person to $200 a person. Although I’m paid fairly well (the most I’ve ever been making in my life, however, it still isn’t really much at all), I simply cannot afford to shell out money to attend these functions. Realize that most of these “invitations” are passed along to me via my boss–“Here is an invitation. I can’t make it, but perhaps you could?” I feel horrible telling my boss, “Sorry, but I have plans that evening” or some other lame excuse. I’d feel even more embarrassed and horrible saying, “I can’t afford this.” No one has said that the costs are reimbursable by my company, and I know that at least two other co-workers went to a “luncheon” a few weeks ago where the tickets were $30 each and they paid for it themselves.
On another note, I do accept any invitation which doesn’t have a price tag attached (Open Houses, holiday parties, etc.) and I go and represent my company there.
Just this morning, I got an email from my boss, for a dinner ($50 each) in which she stated that she couldn’t make it, “but is there any way you could attend this on behalf of (our company). I know this is terribly last minute.” She even mentions that this would be a good event to take my son (price increases to $100)–not only is it three weeks before Christmas (and I haven’t bought any Christmas presents yet!), but the cost of heating oil just increased, my daughter’s clunker, duct taped car this past weekend had to be scrapped because of a blown head gasket (can’t afford to get it fixed), and one of my pets is seriously sick and desperately needs extensive vet care (which will have to come out of the grocery money). I don’t want to go to my boss and whine “I don’t have any money for this stuff”, but honestly, if it come to a choice between buying a weeks worth of groceries for $100, or shelling out $100 for two tickets to a fundraising dinner, there’s no guess as to where my money is going. But, I still don’t know how to tell this to my boss.
If she’s asking you to attend “on behalf of our company,” then the company should pay for it. You shouldn’t feel bad about clarifying that. If it’s awkward, then simply say you feel awkward about asking but you are wondering if the regular procedure is for the company to cover the cost of the tickets when you are attending “on behalf of our company.” And if she says no, just answer that you are really sorry but your charitable commitments are already set and you regret that you can’t donate to any other organizations.
How big is your employer? Perhaps the people who paid for their lunch were also unaware that the company would have reimbursed them and the company has no idea that they haven’t done so. You won’t get anywhere by not asking what the policy is.
If it is representing the company, the company has to pay for it: it’s job-related, you wouldn’t be going if you didn’t have this job. If it’s a personal thing, then you pay for it. The point is not whether you enjoy those functions or not, but the fact that you are “representing the company”, that it is “business related”. You know, same as you’re supposed to get your personal photocopies at Kinko’s, but the company has a photocopier for company stuff.
At least that’s the way Spanish law has it. I know US laws are different, but still… ask your boss.
I have seen many situations where people were doing something the wrong way because nobody had dared to ask, or where something was broken but everybody complained out loud instead of calling service (so of course it stayed broken).
My own company is US based and has policies that include things like the company paying for “reasonable entertainment” if they ask you to stay someplace over the weekend for a business trip: they won’t pay for opera tickets for 5, but 1 movie ticket yes. And that’s something where we aren’t even representing the company.
Just ask her. There is no way a company should expect you to shell out even $50 of your own money without being completely clear whether it will be, in fact, your own money. What kind of crap is that?
I agree with everyone else; if my boss asked me to go to a work related function that cost any money at all, I’d expect that the company would pay for it. If they don’t, you’re not at all obligated to go. I wouldn’t have any problems at all asking my boss for clarification on this point. You don’t have to give her an explaination as to why you don’t want to pay, by the way. I’d just tell the boss something like “Yes, I’m available that night. By the way, does the company pay up front for the costs, or should I submit a receipt for reimbursement?”
I make decent money, and still have declined similar invitations because I didn’t feel Iwanted to spend my money on this. Every time, I’ve told my boss: I’m sorry, but that’s a lot of money for me" There is no shame in that.
Agreed with the consensus. Fire off an e-mail or telephone call. If you feel awkward about asking, say something like “As this is the first pay event I will be attending in representation of our company, I’m not sure how to go about being reimbursed for the cost. Do you know who handles that?” or something.
And if it ain’t paid for by them, then just be honest. “I’d love to go, unfortunately, I can’t justify that expenditure.” or just plain “I can’t afford it.” Your boss knows how much you make, anyway.
We’re a small company (eight employees, including myself) and being very public is part of our company. (We’re not public relations, but darn close to it.) The whole situation is very awkward. I feel like I’m the “poor cousin” of the group. Lessee…Big Boss is single, divorced, older. Is contemplating if she wants to get a new Cadillac or if she wants to go with another brand. (Me–I’m driving a 10 year old Chevy with 130,000 miles on it, and just borrowed $1,000 from my mom to make repairs and get it to pass inspection.) Employee #1 is divorced and drives a Mercedes and dresses to the nines, including designer handbags at $400 a pop (and no, they’re not knock-offs). (Me–The majority of the clothing I own was purchase either at consignment stores or seriously on sale, or was a gift, such as the underwear from my mother.) Employee #2 is married and his wife is a high paying executive with a major company in town. He drives an Audi, his wife a Volvo, and they go on vacation several times per year. (Me–Vacation? What’s that? Seriously, I haven’t been on a vacation, or away for the weekend, since I was eight years old.) Employee #3 is single, lives with her family and has so much vacation time accumulated (she’s been here the longest) that she’s gone several weeks per year actually on vacation to “the beach”. (Me–I saw the beach once. On a day trip as we went to Atlantic City. No, we didn’t gamble, we just walked the beach. In April.) Employee #4 and Employee #5 see a combination of above. Employee #6 is married and her husband pays for everything, including her new SUV (a new one each year) and she works “for something to do”. (Me–Me no work, me no eat.)
I don’t mean to whine, and I’m not judging everything based on the cars being driven, but heck…it seems as if I don’t have the money to work at my job.
Sorry, I don’t mean for this to become a pity party, just a lot going on now, and now there’s this…
I think this is excellent. It puts the onus on your boss to explain you won’t be reimbursed. Then you can begin a dialogue about you representing the company, and why won’t the company pay you back your expenses, blah blah blah.
Is it possible she’s pushing this off on you because she doesn’t want to pay herself?
Just to add some perspective, I have worked with and for people who were very, very well off. Maids, nannies, Rolls-Royces, prep-schools for the kiddies, that kind of thing.
I cannot think of ONE person who would have attended the things you are describing – fundraisers or events on behalf of the company – on their own dime. Not one.
It has nothing to do with who can afford it and who can’t. If it’s a company function, the company should pay for you to attend on their behalf. Period. Now go decline (or clarify the policy) and stand proud!
If your boss does expect you to foot the bill yourself (though I’m just having a hard time believing there is not simply some miscommunication going on), then you are being taken advantage of, and Part B of my advice would be to starting seeking a new position.
I would and have said the same thing as Athena. I would not and do not bother to explain my own personal financial position or decisions with regards to charitable spending.
I also think Athena had the best response, definitely better than what I first suggested. It’s none of the company’s business how or if you donate and you shouldn’t have to explain that you do or don’t or can’t or whatever.
It also doesn’t matter how much money anyone else there makes or what kind of car they drive. If the company wants you to attend on behalf of the company, then they pay. I have to think that this is some kind of misunderstanding with everyone being too afraid to speak up.
I used to have an assistant who had to frequently run errands. The first time, I told her to take a cab and she kind of said, “Okay” and quickly left, sooner than I could get a twenty out of petty cash. When I asked how much it was so I could reimburse her, she said she had ended up taking the subway. Why, I asked, when I said she should and could take a cab? She said a cab costs at least $10 and she didn’t have it on her. I was dumbfounded that she thought she’d have to pay for it herself and embarrassed that I hadn’t made it clear that OF COURSE the company was paying. She didn’t have much previous business experience and just didn’t understand how things worked.
Perhaps your boss is under the impression that everyone would know that the company is paying and that’s why she hasn’t specifically stated it.
This is what I think. To me, the idea that they would expect you to pay for yourself is unthinkable, unless it was clearly something intended only for your entertainment, like a baseball game or an amusement park or something, and even then I’d think they were being a bit stingy to organize a company social event and make you pay for it.
So, odds are you’ve been missing out on a lot of nice free dinners.
I have a meeting scheduled on Tuesday, so I’ll bring it up then. Too late for the dinner on Thursday (tomorrow), but still.
Oh, here’s how things have a tendency to go…I recieved a “company credit card”, however, I have no clue how to use it, or what to use it for, or when to use it. I have no clue what expenses are okay (lunch for me? lunch for the business companion with whom I’m lunching?–mileage is reimbursed through another method), so I sent an email to the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) who takes care of these things. I asked him for a set of guidelines for the usage of the credit card. No response. (It’s only been one day, but surely he could point me in the right direction…)
How silly! I would suggest to the CFO that the guidelines he provides you are issued with every issuance of a company credit card. Not letting employees know how to properly use the company credit cards seems like, in the worst-case scenario, a potential catastrophe.
You should have been told what the reimbursement policy is for business expenses the day you started. This company is starting to sound rather flaky to me.
On the other hand, if they gave you a credit card, why didn’t you ask what you are supposed to use it for?
I DID ask! In the email to the CFO. See, the card came in the mail, addressed to me, and the secretary only slits the envelopes for us to have easy access–she doesn’t pilfer through the mail.
I’m going home tonight and rereading the employee handbook. Surely, there’s something in there SOMEWHERE.
