1 in 5 office workers hate submitting expenses – new survey

Over a quarter (28%) of office workers wish that they didn’t have to submit expenses to recoup costs while at work, new poll data has revealed.

The Inconvenient Expenses poll, conducted by Just Eat for Business on LinkedIn, reveals workers attitudes towards handling admin for expenditures like lunch, as well as finding out the average time it takes to submit and process these expenses.

The study was conducted to encourage businesses to take advantage of employee benefit services like Just Eat Pay – a daily or monthly digital food allowance, which works to reduce the hassle of processing complex and costly food expenses.

It appears that expenditure admin is a hassle for many, as over a quarter (28%) of workers revealed they wish submitting expenses wasn’t their responsibility, while one in three admitted they find dealing with expenses annoying.

When asked about how long it takes workers to submit an expense, the survey found it doesn’t take too long, as 60% of workers said it takes them less than 15 minutes per form.

It seems that the majority of workers’ annoyance comes from the time it takes to be reimbursed, as nearly half (48%) revealed it takes over a week to see their expenses paid, while for 38% it takes over a month.

Mike Chappell, Co-Founder and COO at Formspal, speaks on the often lengthy process of expense processing, and how this admin time could be better used by businesses: “Concerning expenditure reporting, employees and finance teams alike must deal with a lot of tedious and time-consuming manual labour. It’s impossible to send a request to finance unless it has been reviewed and approved by management, and the finance team must first process the claims and balance the transactions before issuing refunds.

“In addition, it doesn’t take into account any exchanges before the final step between the parties. This means there’ll be a delay in reimbursing employees, exacerbating the already existing financial stress for both parties. As a result, employees’ time engaged in the expense process may be better spent on the company’s strategic, high-value projects.”

Lucy Cantan, Sales and Partnership Director at Just Eat for Business, weighs in on the polls: “Completing and processing admin for expenditures such as lunch or work dinners can be time consuming for all involved – whether you’re an employer or employee. However, it’s really important that everyone receives what they’re owed and continues to benefit from paid-for meals and travel costs.

“That’s why we encourage businesses to take advantage of schemes like Just Eat Pay, which reduces the hassle of completing and processing expense forms, and means employees and employers alike can focus their efforts elsewhere.”