Ah, the corporate expense report – the bane of every professional traveler’s end of trip paperwork. You need (and are owed) the reimbursement, but man, what a PITA. Don’t you think you deserve just a little more than the policy allows because you give so much of your personal time to the company? It’s not dinner, golf, a sports outing. When you’re trying to close a deal, it’s WORK. Those are extra hours you’re putting in – practically for free. You could be spending the time with your family. You always go above and beyond what’s required of your job. A little extra here and there is only fair. Dare I say – it’s only right.
So, do you do it? If you can submit up to $25 without a receipt and you only had a $3.79 cup of coffee, how much do you put in the expense report box? Does the company policy and threat of being fired influence the amount you put in the box?
I met up with two former legislators and a former aide tonight. No formal agenda – just chit chatting. I heard all sorts of stories about lobbyists and legislators that simply disgusted me. I won’t go into details, but it was just sad. They shared with complete sincerity to not go into lobbying (yes, it crossed my mind) unless I was willing to sleep with people for votes. I did not in any way get the feeling they were being dramatic or funny – it simply sounded like a fact.
