Guy gets fired, company won't reimburse flights for upcoming work trip: 'Now that I'm not part of the company, I'm obviously not attending said retreat'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
May 5, 2024 8:00 AM EDT

Talk about a cheap company! This HR department had to let go of seven employees as a result of budget cuts, but it gets worse. When one of those employees brought up the fact that he would like to be reimbursed for the flights he already purchased for the upcoming work retreat (which he obviously will no longer be attending), HR denied his request! 

Their so-called "explanation" was that the former employee could instead get a flight credit with the airline for a future trip of his own. How ignorant can these people be? This guy is not going on vacation any time soon; he needs to get a job! That's $225 that could be used for groceries. 

Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions from folks in the comments section. When you're done, take a look at this similar story about a student worker whose schedule was not respected by his manager.

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  • 01
    "Employer doesn't want to reimburse flights purchased for work event"
    via Marten Bjork
  • 02
    Was l-off out of nowhere to not fault of my own. Employer doesn't want to reimburse flights purchased for work event.
    via u/mmbtt
  • 03
    Hello, I was off this week out of nowhere, they told me on Tuesday morning and 10 minutes later I had no access to anything.
    via u/mmbtt
  • 04
    Another 7 people were affected too. The thing is that the company organizes a summer retreat and I had already purchased flights, that were to be reimbursed after the flight was taken. Now that I'm not part of the company, I'm obviously not attending said retreat, and when asked about reimbursement,
    via u/mmbtt
  • 05
    they said that I could get a credit from the airline and use it for a future trip. This does not sit well with me. First, as I'm unemployed right now I am not going to be taking any trips soon, and second, it was $225. That's a whole month worth of food for me.
    via u/mmbtt
  • 06
    Is this legal? Is there anything I can do for them to reimburse me? For reference, I'm located in Colorado.
    via u/mmbtt
  • 07
    procrastinating · 21 hr. ago Start by emailing HR at the company to request repayment. Put in writing that you are requesting reimbursement for a plane ticket you purchased on your own card per company policy for a mandatory work meeting and the cost has not been paid yet. If they write back to deny your request or ignore your email contact the Colorado department of labor and employment.
    via u/mmbtt
  • 08
    They should be able to advise if the company has to pay you and help you collect if they do. This should be free to you and not need a lawyer.
    via u/mmbtt
  • 09
    ejrhonda79 21 hr. ago This is why I will never pay for company required travel and hope to be reimbursed. Long ago I had to do the same for some work I needed to do in a remote office.
    via u/mmbtt
  • 10
    I paid for the flight and hotel on my own and they reimbursed me afterwards. At the time I was being paid a salary and prepaying work travel didn't sit well with me. If I recall correctly shortly after I took that work trip, the company laid off a bunch of sales people.
    via u/mmbtt
  • 11
    Some of them were in different states and they were stranded because the company severed ties with them. Now if a company needs me to travel for the company, they can pay for it up front.
    via u/mmbtt
  • 12
    tp420dmt 23 hr. ago In a moral world, they should give you your money back for the flight and have the airline credit them back. But its by far a morel world right now.
    via u/mmbtt
  • 13
    mmbtt OP 23 hr. ago Yep. It feels like they are stealing from me at this point.
    via u/mmbtt
  • 14
    Standard-Pepper-133. 23 hr. ago Getting "off" is never the employees fault but in response to your employers not needing or being able to profit from your labor. That's why you can get unemployment insurance and you can't if you get fired or quit. However unreimbursed required job expenses I think constitutes theft by your employer.
    via u/mmbtt
  • 15
    mmbtt OP 23 hr. ago I had submitted the reimbursement request and everything, about a month ago. It's just hadn't go through because I hadn't used the flight (retreat is schedule for June). They even let me go the last day of the month, so my health insurance wasn't valid anymore. I had to cancel a bunch of appointments and studies I was going to get done due to health issues I've been having. The whole thing feels like a kick to my stomach. I was doing so well :(
    via u/mmbtt
  • 16
    icome3rd 20 hr. ago Tell them they can reimburse you or you will still attend the conference and expect to be paid.
    via u/mmbtt
  • 17
    fenriq 23 hr. ago They made you buy your own flights to their retreat? Hno to that.
    via u/mmbtt
  • 18
    danzibara 21 hr. ago • I would get their refusal to reimburse the flight in writing. Then, I would submit a wage claim with the Department of Labor. I'm pretty doubtful that unreimbursed travel expenses are something that would work through the wage claim process, but it could cause the employer a headache that costs them way more than the $225 it would have cost them to reimburse you.
    via u/mmbtt

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