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Reimbursements - where's the line?
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 1:06 pm
by viking138
Very curious about where the line gets drawn on reimbursements during callbacks. Obviously you shouldn't be ordering a lobster dinner on the firm's dime, but what about taking a cab from my apartment to the firm rather than using the subway to avoid looking sweaty? Should I just cough up the $20 roundtrip per firm or is that considered an understandable expense that firms are happy to pay? Just curious about what's considered kosher here.
Re: Reimbursements - where's the line?
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 1:51 pm
by clintonius
From your apartment to the firm, meaning you live in the city where you're interviewing? I don't think they'll reimburse travel expenses in that case. If you need to take a cab rather than the subway that would be a personal expense.
Re: Reimbursements - where's the line?
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 2:04 pm
by baboon309
I don't know about law firms. But Goldman Sachs used to pay me for those expenses too.
Re: Reimbursements - where's the line?
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 6:26 pm
by thesealocust
viking138 wrote:Very curious about where the line gets drawn on reimbursements during callbacks. Obviously you shouldn't be ordering a lobster dinner on the firm's dime, but what about taking a cab from my apartment to the firm rather than using the subway to avoid looking sweaty? Should I just cough up the $20 roundtrip per firm or is that considered an understandable expense that firms are happy to pay? Just curious about what's considered kosher here.
If your traveling out of the city, the firm should pay for everything you eat to keep you alive and every method of transportation. Keep it reasonable, but also keep in mind nobody cares and your reimbursements will be processed like a decade after your interviews.
Some firms even give you guidance and it's always funny, they'll be like "SPEND LESS THAN $50 ON DINNER" and I'll be like "$50 is my food budget
for the quarter."
Re: Reimbursements - where's the line?
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 6:26 pm
by adameus
take the cab and submit the receipt. It's possible they will reject your receipt, but by the time they've even looked at it, they will long ago have made a decision on whether or not they are giving you an offer.
Re: Reimbursements - where's the line?
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 7:10 pm
by dixiecupdrinking
Our OCS specifically said that NYC firms will not reimburse anything if you live here. I think you are unlikely to get them to pay for your cab fare, which is a completely discretionary cost. Regardless of whether they look at the substance of your receipts before or after they make a hiring decision, the fact that you live in town and submitted anything for reimbursement would demonstrate poor judgment, IMO.
Re: Reimbursements - where's the line?
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 8:04 am
by viking138
dixiecupdrinking wrote:Our OCS specifically said that NYC firms will not reimburse anything if you live here. I think you are unlikely to get them to pay for your cab fare, which is a completely discretionary cost. Regardless of whether they look at the substance of your receipts before or after they make a hiring decision, the fact that you live in town and submitted anything for reimbursement would demonstrate poor judgment, IMO.
That was my thinking, but I've been to firm events where they encouraged people to submit taxi receipts (of course those were receptions, not interviews). In the event that HR asks about receipts, I just wanted to make sure I shouldn't give any taxi receipts.
Re: Reimbursements - where's the line?
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 8:30 am
by sunynp
viking138 wrote:dixiecupdrinking wrote:Our OCS specifically said that NYC firms will not reimburse anything if you live here. I think you are unlikely to get them to pay for your cab fare, which is a completely discretionary cost. Regardless of whether they look at the substance of your receipts before or after they make a hiring decision, the fact that you live in town and submitted anything for reimbursement would demonstrate poor judgment, IMO.
That was my thinking, but I've been to firm events where they encouraged people to submit taxi receipts (of course those were receptions, not interviews). In the event that HR asks about receipts, I just wanted to make sure I shouldn't give any taxi receipts.
If you live in NYC and are going to a NYC interview, what receipts would you have for HR? I'm not following this. You should not expect them to pay for you to take a cab to the interview. If you are taken out for lunch or coffee, someone else will pay the bill.
Re: Reimbursements - where's the line?
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 9:29 am
by bgdddymtty
sunynp wrote:viking138 wrote:dixiecupdrinking wrote:Our OCS specifically said that NYC firms will not reimburse anything if you live here. I think you are unlikely to get them to pay for your cab fare, which is a completely discretionary cost. Regardless of whether they look at the substance of your receipts before or after they make a hiring decision, the fact that you live in town and submitted anything for reimbursement would demonstrate poor judgment, IMO.
That was my thinking, but I've been to firm events where they encouraged people to submit taxi receipts (of course those were receptions, not interviews). In the event that HR asks about receipts, I just wanted to make sure I shouldn't give any taxi receipts.
If you live in NYC and are going to a NYC interview, what receipts would you have for HR? I'm not following this. You should not expect them to pay for you to take a cab to the interview. If you are taken out for lunch or coffee, someone else will pay the bill.
I think OP's rationale is the following:
I don't want to be/look sweaty at the interview, and I doubt the firm wants that either.
If I didn't live in NYC, the firm would pay for my transportation to the interview, and would not expect me to take the subway.
Is it therefore OK for me to take a cab and ask them to pick up the tab?
Mind you, I don't know the answer to the question, and I'd imagine it varies from firm to firm, but it's definitely not a ridiculous one.
Also, OP, even if you don't submit a receipt, making the investment in yourself by taking a cab is TCR.
Re: Reimbursements - where's the line?
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 10:03 am
by viking138
bgdddymtty wrote:sunynp wrote:viking138 wrote:dixiecupdrinking wrote:Our OCS specifically said that NYC firms will not reimburse anything if you live here. I think you are unlikely to get them to pay for your cab fare, which is a completely discretionary cost. Regardless of whether they look at the substance of your receipts before or after they make a hiring decision, the fact that you live in town and submitted anything for reimbursement would demonstrate poor judgment, IMO.
That was my thinking, but I've been to firm events where they encouraged people to submit taxi receipts (of course those were receptions, not interviews). In the event that HR asks about receipts, I just wanted to make sure I shouldn't give any taxi receipts.
If you live in NYC and are going to a NYC interview, what receipts would you have for HR? I'm not following this. You should not expect them to pay for you to take a cab to the interview. If you are taken out for lunch or coffee, someone else will pay the bill.
I think OP's rationale is the following:
I don't want to be/look sweaty at the interview, and I doubt the firm wants that either.
If I didn't live in NYC, the firm would pay for my transportation to the interview, and would not expect me to take the subway.
Is it therefore OK for me to take a cab and ask them to pick up the tab?
Mind you, I don't know the answer to the question, and I'd imagine it varies from firm to firm, but it's definitely not a ridiculous one.
Also, OP, even if you don't submit a receipt, making the investment in yourself by taking a cab is TCR.
Oh, absolutely. I will be taking a cab to the firm regardless of if they reimburse me or not. NYC summers are not conducive to looking professional, especially not when subway platforms tend to be 20 degrees hotter than it is outside.
I'm actually not wondering if it's ok to ask them to pick up the tab -- I would never ask. But if they ask for any expense receipts (this has happened at firm events before), my question is if I should give them the taxi receipts. I'm leaning towards no just to be 100% safe, but figured some people with experience might have different opinions.
Re: Reimbursements - where's the line?
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 1:27 pm
by adameus
viking138 wrote:
Oh, absolutely. I will be taking a cab to the firm regardless of if they reimburse me or not. NYC summers are not conducive to looking professional, especially not when subway platforms tend to be 20 degrees hotter than it is outside.
I'm actually not wondering if it's ok to ask them to pick up the tab -- I would never ask. But if they ask for any expense receipts (this has happened at firm events before), my question is if I should give them the taxi receipts. I'm leaning towards no just to be 100% safe, but figured some people with experience might have different opinions.
I think the reason they ask for receipts/offer to reimburse taxis at the firms events is because people are drinking and they want to make sure everyone makes it home safely. an interview is different and I don't think they will be asking for receipts there. but if they do then I stand by my advice to send in the taxi receipt.
Re: Reimbursements - where's the line?
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 1:35 pm
by ObLaDiObLaDa
I wouldn't do it. The risk/reward ratio is not in your favor and I don't see how taking the chance is worth it. If you submit it, you may get back your cab fair but may make a bad impression on the firm who will wonder why a NYC resident is submitting a receipt. If you don't submit it, you're out for the fare but you haven't jeopardized your chances. Is $40 worth the possibility of hurting your chances? (however small the hurt may be).
There is a very really chance they won't even reimburse you until long after they have made a decision, but I wouldn't chance it.
Re: Reimbursements - where's the line?
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 2:34 am
by Doritos
So the consensus is that if you are NOT from NYC and are there for a callback you can take a cab and submit the receipt?