One of my staff is using my business like his personal bank

Dear Aunty B,

Like lots of businesses, we give out company credit cards to a few of our key staff members and salespeople. But I’m having trouble with how one of my direct reports is using his card.

For the last few months he’s been buying personal items on his company credit card – everything from beer to presents for his wife to train tickets – and then paying the company back at the end of the month.

He’s scrupulous about the repayments and very apologetic about using the card in this way. But keeping track of all this money is stress I don’t need.

Aunty, how do I make it clear I don’t want to be used as a cash machine?

ATM,

Sydney

Dear ATM,

I don’t like how this smells. Not one bit.

If your staff member did this once out of the blue when he left his own credit card at home or something remotely plausible, you might be prepared to accept it. But this is a pattern of behaviour and you need to clamp down – you don’t need these sorts of money issues between employer and employee.

Take him aside and tell him that he’s not to use the card for personal matters. End of story. If he doesn’t, cut the card up and tell him to claim expenses back.

And pull everyone else with a card aside and tell them the same thing, just to be safe.

Be smart,

Your Aunty B

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