Non Payment of Expenses - what to do?

[jack_lord]

My wife works in the NHS and "recently" had to pay to go on a course that was essential for her re-accreditation. This was supposed to be paid for by the employer but she was told tompay for it and claim it back.
She paid for the course in May.
Over 7 months later she still has not been reimbursed.
The matron and admin manager are now ignoring\not responding to her emails.

This was quite a large sum of cash - what the actual fugg and the union are not exactly that helpful either.

 

[3swan]

Acas info. You can always ring them for advise before going formal

Expenses - Acas

When expenses should be paid and what to do if they are not.

www.acas.org.uk

 

[Pentyrchjack]

I'd formalise it in a letter to the Ward / Unit Manager as a first step (and get confirmation ofcreceipt) to resolve, if no success, raise a Grievance.

The NHS often treats its staff terribly, ironically some of the staff there who themselves are treated badly then pass it down the line.

 

[jack_lord]

Thank you.
There is no question over this one - they have to pay the expenses. It is a course that she had to attend to be able to continue to work. Her colleagues in cross site hospital on the same course have been paid within a month as it was a different person who was signing off their expenses.
The union have said give them one more chance to repond then formal letter then it must be the grievance.
Absolutely appalling.
I get the feeling the admin manager just doesnt know how to do it and rather than ask, the fecking buffoon is hoping it will just go away.
This is the kind of problem you get when you promote people too quickly because they can blag.

 

[MajorR]

Thank you.
There is no question over this one - they have to pay the expenses. It is a course that she had to attend to be able to continue to work. Her colleagues in cross site hospital on the same course have been paid within a month as it was a different person who was signing off their expenses.
The union have said give them one more chance to repond then formal letter then it must be the grievance.
Absolutely appalling.
I get the feeling the admin manager just doesnt know how to do it and rather than ask, the fecking buffoon is hoping it will just go away.
This is the kind of problem you get when you promote people too quickly because they can blag.

100% agree with you about promoting people too quickly, talk a good job but that’s it.

Your wife is right to be annoyed. In terms of the union, is she dealing with a local rep or a branch secretary, sometimes the local reps who would also be employed don’t want to rock the boat too much because they have to work there too.

If the Union have recommended a formal letter, then go down that route and give them a fixed period of time to reply. Tell them if you haven’t had satisfaction, you’ll be taking formal action, grievances can be a low level informal resolution of an issue, if that doesn’t work you’ll need to take formal action. I’d tell them straight they’ve got 7 days or it’s being escalated to the top.

 

[jack_lord]

She has been trying to find out the the local rep is but as you said, at that level, they don't want to rock the boat.
The hospital can ill afford my wife to go off sick with stress and she has actually never pulled a sicky. I think the last time she went called is sick was about ten years ago. She is properly pulling her hair out on this as it looks personal.

 

[Squarebear]

It might be something technical that's gone wrong.

For example, if their computer system hasn't been correctly set, resulting in your wife's claim not workflowing to the right person's inbox.

Do the NHS use SAP?

 

[Cooperman]

Has there been a conversation about the issue or is that not feasible due to geography or other restrictions?

 

[jack_lord]

It might be something technical that's gone wrong.

For example, if their computer system hasn't been correctly set, resulting in your wife's claim not workflowing to the right person's inbox.

Do the NHS use SAP?

Unfortunately not. The admin manager who is the signatory on this particular incident tried to deny that she was responsible for signing the expense off when my wife came face to face with her. They are based fairly close to each other . My wife pinpointed her name on this submission and then the she said she would look in to it. That was after many calls and many emails. She has done nothing since, not even responding to desperate emails.
My wife can not even resubmit the expense to another person until the admin manager closes the submission.

 

[jack_lord]

Has there been a conversation about the issue or is that not feasible due to geography or other restrictions?

They have met face to face, near the start of September. They are both pretty much based in Singleton. If my wife cancelled one of her clinics they would be all over her yet they can ignore her repeatedly on something that is very important to her.

 

[Squarebear]

That is a sh1tty way to be treated. No doubt.

 

[3swan]

No one wants to have this going on in the workplace but to last this amount of time is ridiculous.

As already posted by others, and the process in the ACAS link, raising a Grievance seems the way forward.

If it was me I would send an email, so there is a record, stating that if this wasn't sorted in X days I would formally raise a grievance.

 

[Cooperman]

They have met face to face, near the start of September. They are both pretty much based in Singleton. If my wife cancelled one of her clinics they would be all over her yet they can ignore her repeatedly on something that is very important to her.

I would always try and encourage resolution through discussion, rather than email traffic which can sometimes be misinterpreted.

Your wife is well within her rights to seek an answer to her queries and she should not be discriminated against for doing so.

Is the matron her line manager, or is line management another person? If different then this is also a means of support.

Good luck with it.

 

[Squarebear]

Once, when I was putting off doing something I really didn't want to do because it was a big hassle and I knew there'd be a row, a guy who needed me to do it called me spineless. I tell you what. That stung. I got it done right away.

Get your missus to call that lamearse spineless and see if it does owt.

 

[jack_lord]

I would always try and encourage resolution through discussion, rather than email traffic which can sometimes be misinterpreted.

Your wife is well within her rights to seek an answer to her queries and she should not be discriminated against for doing so.

Is the matron her line manager, or is line management another person? If different then this is also a means of support.

Good luck with it.

The matron is her line manager. It would have been her that signed off the expense but she wasnt there when it was submitted so the admin manager took it on - what a fecking mistake. The matron signed off the other two colleagues who attended that course within a month of receiving it. This is scandalous in my opinion.
The matron is aware of of the matter but doesnt appear to be resolving it.
I would love to have the health minister give the hospital a call.
There have been a lot of emails. The union is involved and saying that she should send one last message before using the union form. I think it is a grievance after that.
Why oh why does it get to this stage.
You could be your bottom dollar that the same person would be apoplectic if she paid for some fillers and they weren't done