Am feeling very annoyed

[nineveh_uk]

That my employer, not short of ready cash, presently owes me c. £250 because there was no way of paying for a couple of things other than via my personal Visa card. I have just sent my boss an acerbic email suggesting that it would be good practice for all departments to have a credit card so that staff are not put in the position of having to lend money to the university.

Comments

[white_hart]

not short of ready cash

Have you not seen the Dire Warnings of Financial Crisis currently circulating?

The departmental credit card system is fairly rubbish; it doesn't appear to be possible to have an actual departmental card so an individual member of staff has to be responsible for it. Our Director of Development has one, and we do borrow it for online purchases when she's in the office, but it's bugger-all use when the Dean forgets he has a lunchtime meeting and a vital piece of equipment breaks so one of the staff gets sent out to buy £50 worth of sandwiches and a new kettle.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

I draw a distinction between less cash than we'd like and not able to pay bills. I have not seen the Dire Warnings (though I read a Minute) do to the major reason that I'm annoyed about this - that someone phoned up just after I'd shelled out and complained that I hadn't done something when I've been saving them a G. 8 salary for the past 2 months.

Is the staff member expected to pay herself, or merely raid petty cash?

[white_hart]

That does rather take the biscuit.

The list of things that can be bought using petty cash is so hedged about that sadly, people buying things on Faculty business usually end up having to pay for them themselves and claim the money back. We have had discussions about this in the past, but failed to find a better solution; it's particularly problematic because more often than not the people who could best afford to be £50 out of pocket are the ones who are far too busy to go and spend it.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

it's particularly problematic because more often than not the people who could best afford to be £50 out of pocket are the ones who are far too busy to go and spend it

Funny, that! Clearly we are more profligate with our petty cash - or just don't quite follow the rules properly.