'My employer wouldn't approve $4 above our rate': Company forces traveling employee to book a cheaper hotel, not realizing it'll cost them over $300/day in overtime hours

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Aug 12, 2023 7:00 AM EDT

When employees attempt to navigate company budgets, usually they have to cut through an outrageous amount of red tape in order to get anything adjusted. Obviously, in the real world, budgeting is simplified with a little leeway, but when it comes to businessmen traveling on the company dime, if you're just a penny over budget, there will be heckity heckin' heck to pay. In this case, a traveling employee found himself in a pickle when traveling for work, only to flip the switch on his boss and take advantage of a silly system. 

OP was traveling for work and, because of a local event in the city he was visiting, he was unable to find a hotel room within the approved company budget. In lieu of sacrificing his comforts and settling for a grungy motel, OP was able to haggle the hotel clerk down to just $4 over his company's budget, hoping they could make an exception so that their employee could stay in the city and close to the action. 

Well, naturally, with no wiggle room in the financing department, OP's boss immediately dashed the idea of paying for a room that was $4 over budget and opted for their employee to stay at in luxury suite over 2 hours away from the convention, just because they had marginally cheaper rooms. Scroll to read on about how OP turned a huge inconvenience into a tiny stacation, logging overtime hours and costing the company hundreds for their penny-pinching ways. For more cheapo bosses who put their traveling employees in a bind, check out this story of a global salesman forced to fly coach who got revenge in the best way. 

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  • 01
    Font - Posted by u/pathofuncertainty 7 hours ago Sure, spend $300+ to save $4 S OC
    via pathofuncertainty
  • 02
    Font - My employment involves fairly regular travel. My employer has pre-approved. rates with hotels, but occasionally due to availability that rate may not be available. In that
    via pathofuncertainty
  • 03
    Font - case, you simply get individual approval from a high level supervisor for the increased amount. I had to travel when there were a number of events
    via pathofuncertainty
  • 04
    Font - going on, so our approved rate wasn't available. I made multiple calls to the hotel, as it's one I've stayed at frequently. They agreed
    via pathofuncertainty
  • 05
    Font - to drop the rate to just $4 above our approved rate. Great!...I emailed my direct supervisor and the person I needed approval from.
    via pathofuncertainty
  • 06
    Font - Shocker...my employer wouldn't approve the higher rate. They informed. me that I needed to obtain the approved rate, and suggested I stay at a place I
    via pathofuncertainty
  • 07
    Font - was nearly guaranteed to get bed bugs. Wasn't going to happen, but they told me just to find anywhere that would accept our rate. Cue malicious compliance:
    via pathofuncertainty
  • 08
    Font - I called another hotel in a touristy area nearly 2 hours from where I needed to be. I stayed at this property frequently, and they were more than happy to meet
    via pathofuncertainty
  • 09
    Font - our approved rate. The kicker, because it's in a high demand location, the approved rate was nearly double the rate of the previous hotel. Additionally,
    via pathofuncertainty
  • 10
    Font - my meal allowance was also significantly higher. The most costly part to my employer, is that because I now had a two hour drive (one way), they had to pay
    via pathofuncertainty
  • 11
    Font - me 4 hours of overtime on top of the other travel costs. I ran my plans through my direct supervisor, who just laughed and gave his verbal approval.
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  • 12
    Font - Because everything was at the approved rate, it was all approved automatically. I enjoyed my amazing dinner with a great view!
    via pathofuncertainty
  • 13
    Font - WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch +4. 6 hr. ago I've had similar with "approved hotel chains." "Wait, you want me to book this hotel, instead of another hotel 1/2 the rate, and 5 minute walk from the client (so i'd have to rent a car), just to have an approved hotel chain?" "Yes."
    via WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 14
    Font - rickbb80. 6 hr. ago We have an equally idiotic hotel policy. We must book through our agent, who books hotels through someone else. Why you might ask? Because the 3rd party booking gives the company a 10% "rebate". Slang for kick back.
    via rickbb80
  • 15
    Font - Starfury_42 +2.5 hr. ago When I traveled I was told "Here's your flight, here's your hotel, both are pre-paid. When you get back submit an expense report for luggage fees, travel to/from the office, and food." I'd hand in a neat
    via Starfury_42
  • 16
    Font - pile of receipts sorted by date and input the total into the expense report system. 2 days later: direct deposit for the entire amount and as a bonus I got Amazon points.
    via blank
  • 17
    Font - neo1piv014 +1 . 1 hr. ago Same here. I've never had a company be so picky about me booking my own hotel and travel arrangements that didn't just go ahead and book them for me.
    via neo1piv014
  • 18
    Human body - Dry-Ad1671 6 hr. ago Balla on a budget... but not your own budget!
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  • 19
    Font - PistolPetunia 5 hr. ago +1. That's what I was about to say...OP must work for the government.
    via PistolPetunia
  • 20
    Font - +3.4 hr. ago Hey, they obviously don't trust their employees to think, therefore rules must be blindly followed. CoderJoe1
    via CoderJoe1
  • 21
    Font - Financial_Land6683 2 hr. ago This isn't comparable, but the title reminded me of a Finnish saying: only a Finn is willing to pay 100€ just to deny their neighbor from getting 50€.
    via Financial_Land6683
  • 22
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boss employee malicious compliance employer work-trip travel-for-work Travel traveling reddit thread Reddit business budget
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