Expense reports: The necessary evil of the working world
Ah, expense reports—a dreaded but unavoidable aspect of corporate life, or any life, really. No one really savours the task (nobody in their right mind anyway), but it seems there have always been two types of employees: those who meticulously calculate every penny after every work trip and submit their reports on time every month, and those who put it off until they receive passive-aggressive threats from Brian in accounting.
Depending on the month, I find myself oscillating between these two camps. I agree there can be a peculiar satisfaction in conquering a laborious task before a deadline. There is even exhilaration in calculating what is owed at the end of the month, followed by the sight of a (sometimes) substantial deposit in my bank account. But let’s face it, when you break it down, we’re just reclaiming the hard-earned cash we fronted for our employer so that realisation takes away some of the shine.
For some (probably most) employees, the idea of expense reports is simply dull beyond measure. It’s a task that is put off until the very last second, resulting in missed receipts or even leaving money on the table. This camp might casually toss away a taxi receipt without a second thought or skim over their Uber receipts, missing a couple of work trips: “What happened to that hotel receipt, Lucy?”, “Oh they never emailed it to me, ah well”, and that’s $500 Lucy will never see again. Repeat this a few more times and Lucy will have to say goodbye to the 5-star resort in Mexico this summer.
Interestingly, we see a new type of employee emerging—those who have been shaped by their experiences during a pandemic and an economic crisis. They are keenly aware that jobs can be fleeting and a housing crisis may loom. These shrewd individuals understand the importance of meticulous calculations and the need to dutifully submit every single expense. They may not enjoy it, but they make it their mission to ensure timely reimbursement, as any delay will impact their cash flow. They’re not frugal, they’re smart, and know that their wages should not be impacted by whether Brian from accounting wants to reconcile a corporate card.
So which employee are you? The great news is that Expensify simplifies the process regardless, so it becomes somewhat inconsequential. Expenses are automatically scanned, categorised and submitted to your employer —simple as that. With the free Expensify card, you can even tap your way to expense management freedom entirely as we provide IRS-accepted e-receipts for nearly all purchases. Your company even earns 2% cash back, so maybe it’s time to bid farewell to the endless frustrations of expense reports, reclaim your precious time (and cash flow) and finally have a word with Brian from accounting?
