Many years ago I was sent by my employer to New York City for some training. I was then (and still am now) a big-eyed country boy, but rather frugal. So, although I stayed in the hotel specified by my employer, I ate and entertained on the cheap. I turned in an accurate expense statement, and it was promptly rejected by my boss. His statement was, "I can't let you turn in this small an expense statement for New York City. It would ruin it for everyone else who ever gets sent there." So, with my bosses coaching, I submitted a falsified expense statement that was more in line with what the boss would have submitted had he been the one in NYC. For subsequent business trips, regardless of the location, I was much less "careful" about my expenses. I never had a statement rejected again.
I thought I'd better add this paragraph. For my travels with the US Navy, I was typically on a per diem basis. If I was frugal, I could make some money. If I spent, literally, like a sailor, all in excess of the per diem rate was out of my pocket. Even with the Navy, though, I could submit documentation that the expenses unavoidably exceeded the per diem rate, and I was usually reimbursed.
Last edited by Captain Larry; 08-30-2006 at 09:30 PM.
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