I recently went on a business trip for my company to Chicago. Knowing that it was going to be a somewhat costly trip, I requested a cash advance from our accounting department to help pay for the expenses without worry that I would be charged any interest on my credit card before I was able to fill out an expense report and get reimbursed. I tend to get slammed upon returning from these trips and it takes me a while to even start thinking about filling out expenses.

Very recently my company switched to an automated, online expense reporting system where you can fax your receipts and fill everything out paperless. Which is a great thing!…until it’s not.

It turns out that they hadn’t programmed the system properly when it comes to handling cash advances and somehow after I submitted my expense report, and after I had written a check for the amount I was given that I didn’t end up spending, I was reimbursed for the amount that I was given as my cash advance.

Yes, you read that right. I was reimbursed for the same amount that I was already given. In other words, I was paid twice. So not only was the trip free for me, they paid me to go.

Obviously I couldn’t let this go and I went straight to the accounting department to let them know that they had accidentally given me and extra $1425.00 (US). Or at least it seems obvious to me.

Upon researching the glitch in the system, they also found that fourteen other people had this same thing happen to them. I was the first to say anything. Fourteen!? Are you kidding me??? What is wrong with people!?!?