Applied for a couple of internal promotions at work. First job based in same office but different team, got interview and offered job…all good. The other role is a double promotion and a bit of a long shot but applied and ended up with interview.

So offered job 1 but told them I can’t accept until 2nd and higher interview results which they seemed happy enough with. So booked £150 worth of train tickets to London on advanced tickets to save the company costs and taking more awkward train times. It turns out today they womt fund the expenses request, tickets can’t be refunded either.

I was furious earlier and can’t believe an international telco is stooping to this all time low. Felt like telling them to stuff their Interview but train tickets can’t be cancelled.

Has anyone had similar issues where your expenses are self funded for attending internal interviews at other end of the country?

No real experience with internal interviewing so can’t advise on the get mad as hell / mtfu dilemma.
I’m doing a lot of (external) interviewing at the moment and it seems people are surprised to get their expenses covered when I offer. I was wondering if this was prevalent across the various sectors – you pay your own way to interviews. Certainly seems like it in mine.

If either job will take your salary over £40k you’ll get little sympathy on here. 😉

I’m not sure how attending a job interview is a work expense, even if its an internal one. If it were an external interview you’d be paying the expenses and using up a day’s leave as well (don’t let them get wind of that notion!). Although its internal you’re not going to be doing the work you’re paid for sitting on train or in the interview

Neither will get anywhere near 40k. Just to top it off neither will equate to a payrise as the latest policy means no payrises for promotions so basically do harder job for free but you may be better off in 5 years time!

New one on me – were they expecting you to take a holiday too? 😐

Although at the (external) interview I had today for an Interim role they said, to quote:

“the role is a maternity cover, so while we are only offering a 9 month contract we expect you to commit to 12 months…”

Sure 😉

You’ve got the tickets, just do it.

Getting expenses for an interview = more or less unheard of IME

Getting expenses for an interview = more or less unheard of IME

Its internal!

And maybe external interview expenses are unheard of now, but it was pretty much common practice not that long ago – and ‘what did it cost you to get here’ was usually the first question, so the monies could be got from petty cash.

what telco?

If you get the London job then TJ recommends Romford as a place to live 😉

Do they have a written policy on this? Did you just assume they’d cover it or are they making an exception?

Why on earth would you take a job that is a ‘promotion’ for no more money ?

Getting expenses for an interview = more or less unheard of IME

Every interview I’ve ever been to has had expenses paid (all external).

and this:

Why on earth would you take a job that is a ‘promotion’ for no more money ?

I think you’d have to be mental in the face to take a promotion without written confirmation that your pay would increase. I’ve been doing something similar for years and recently realised I’m not entirely happy with that situation.

Does anyone pay expenses any more? Last two interviews I’ve had (both for £50k+ jobs) didn’t have expenses paid.

Is the job in your same department? If not, then maybe it’s a case of asking the interviewing department to sign off your claim. I’d be pretty angry to be expected to fund my staff’s travel to be interviewed by another department from my (already limited) travel budget.

Admittedly it would be nicer to sign them off and cross charge, but there you go.

The last 3 interviews I have had with external companies has had travel paid, and we pay for travel and hotels if necessary.

I would hope that travelling expenses would be offered for anything more than a drive to the next town, not a deal breaker if there not but it would be a negative sign about a companies culture. Combined with the no pay rise for promotion (how would you be better off in 5 years if you never get pay rises for promotion) it sounds like they are taking a pound of flesh and giving nothing in return.

It’s awkward because you are already in the company, but be wary of taking promotions that promise future benefits for immediate sacrifices, that’s the path of one day waking up an old man and realising you have wasted your life trapped in the rat race.

Why didn’t you ask your finance department about what is allowed on expenses before you booked the tickets? Always check, especially in this day and age, never assume you’ll get owt. I’m allowed £5.42 for my dinner when away with work, but I never would have known without checking.

My advice would be to avoid getting angry by checking what expenses are allowable before incurring any. You’ve only yourself to blame otherwise.

So you’re going to an interview for a job which is two rungs up the ladder, is based in London and yet will net you no financial benefits. And you’re angry about not getting your travel expenses paid? I’d go for the other job and immediately start looking for another company to work for. That way you’ll get a bit more experience to help you get a job for a company that doesn’t treat its staff like shit.

I suspect it’s not a legitimate business expense they can claim tax relief on. Annoying but don’t throw toys out pram! Hope you get job 2 BTW.

Oh, this thread isn’t going right at all:

hang on

private sector – whining again ? 😉

A few facts I missed:

job isnt in London – just interview is.
Expenses are approved by local budget holders – last interviews I had were all paid, other colleagues who have had recent interviews all had theirs paid.
I booked early to save costs for the company (todays fair is 200) and the interviewing manager was on leave.
Expenses are always well handled – just on this occasion the manager is saying that they wont come from his budget – makes me think what it will be like to work under him.

This promotion would get a car allowance + other bits and bobs but as i said the policy is no pay rise immediatley but based on where you are in the scale (below) you will get a better annual rise so a Good review will get you 7.5% rather than a good review on 3% in my current scale that is of course if they offer any rises that year.

Feel like just not turning up and leaving him sitting in a room for an 1.5 hrs, what must the guy be like to work under.

Still fizzing about it now..

Always get expenses approved in advance. It’s the way these days unfortunately.

Getting expenses for an interview = more or less unheard of IME

Its internal!

So? If you applied for a job and was lucky enough to get an interview would you then ring up and ask if they’d cover your travel expenses?

Every interview I’ve ever been to has had expenses paid (all external).

You must be going for positions in which you are highly prized. Never heard of run-of-the-mill interviews offering expenses.

my mates have been flown all over the world for interviews and assessment centres for graduate positions at the companies costs and even recently internals for going from grad to the next position up where i currently work have been expenses paid.

All travel between any of our Worldwide offices for any company related business is paid for by the company
I would have perhaps got my line manager to rubber stamp the OPs situation 1st though, if it were me

If you don’t go to the interview, be sure to raise a grievance about being discriminated against for one reason or another

age is quite en vogue

So? If you applied for a job and was lucky enough to get an interview would you then ring up and ask if they’d cover your travel expenses?

Yes.

I wouldn’t expect a company to interview more than 5 people for a job, probably only 3 in most cases, travel expenses would realistically be a small part of recruitment costs.

If it was just in the next town I wouldn’t ask, if I had to travel half way down the country I would.
Willingness to cover travel expenses shows they have considered the candidates, and narrowed the field down to those they consider worth employing, and demonstrates their attitude towards (potential) employees.

OK.

* If you just fail to turn up, you are being a dick
* If you inform them you are not going over the expenses issue, then you will seem whiny and uncommitted which also counts against you.
* If you inform them you are not going because you are having second thoughts about the role, that will seem reasonable
* Or you can spend the cash, do the interview, and then make up your mind

Suck it up IMHO.

Meanwhile in the ‘gravy train’ public sector, the travelling expenses ‘debate’ of the month at my work is whether or not a car-less single female on 17k, who has had to work till midnight because of a medical emergency can get work to pay for a taxi four miles home because it’s so late the buses have stopped running. I think they would tell me where to stick it if I wanted travelling expenses for an interview in another department, even if it was 10 miles away.

FWIW, I’ve always been offered expenses when I’ve gone to external interviews. I also know that it’d be considered normal here (big US corporate) that if you went to an internal interview that they’d cover expenses.

It does sound like the jobs on offer aren’t maybe all they’re made to sound like though…

job isnt in London – just interview is.

That would be me out

the manager is saying that they wont come from his budget – makes me think what it will be like to work under him.

Double out. If the manager is being a tosser at this stage, they’ll be horrible to work for.

I was furious earlier and can’t believe an international telco is stooping to this all time low. Felt like telling them to stuff their Interview but train tickets can’t be cancelled.

There’s more than one way to skin a cat. If you haven’t figured out how to claw some money back “unofficially” yet, you’re not ready for management 😉

I wouldn’t expect my expenses to be paid unless offered in writing. Having said that, all my travel costs are covered by expenses so I guess if I was to go for an internal interview then I sure could claim anyway.

I’d definitely expect costs to be covered for an internal interview and if they aren’t because the hiring manager is being precious about his cost centre then I’d not bother going for the interview and just have a day out in London instead. Assuming there’s a good chance he’d have to fill the vacancy externally then he’s saving a shed load of costs by recruiting you internally.

As for external recruitment travel expenses, I’d have thought it pretty rare myself. I know places like Microsoft in the US put people up in hotels for a few days and pay flights but they have deep pockets. My company certainly doesn’t pay travel expenses to interviewees.

I’d always assume that expenses were covered – this is an internal role – but I suspect it’s parochialism at its best. For a definitive ruling, ask HR. If it’s covered, just point this out to your boss (or the recruiting cost centre, whatever HR advise) and they’ll suck it up.

Otherwise, you’ve learned a lesson – always, always assume that you’ll get shafted on expenses. Check and get it confirmed in writing if it’s more than a trivial amount.

In this case, it’s non-refundable, so go for the interview, get the job, then leave with the promotion in your pocket. Don’t stay there unless you just love it to bits; given the way they treat you, I can’t believe that’s the case.

External’s a different story. I’d always assume I’m paying my own way there unless it involves a flight, in which case I’d make it clear well in advance that I’d want them to book/pay for it.

Bit of an update – turns out its in writing in our HR policy that internal interview expenses will be covered by expenses.

I have a plan – goto interview, assess manager to see if he is as bad as first impressions appear. If i get job put head down and take costs on chin. If not then kick up a fuss with higher managers and HR.

I’ve paid so i may aswell make the best out of it – also i want to go and have a look around condor cycles which is round the corner at some Rapha gear I can buy with my new car allowance… 🙂

I’ve got the 1st offer to fall back on so all isnt too bad after all – especially if others are in joblestrackworld – if you are, im probably making myself sound a bit of an arse so apologies.

Bit of an update – turns out its in writing in our HR policy that internal interview expenses will be covered by expenses.

Then whatever happens, put in an expense claim.

coffeeking – Member
Every interview I’ve ever been to has had expenses paid (all external).

ditto

Not as easy as that ^ – it needs a cost code – my codes are against current projects who are in a different area of the business.

I wont get to know his codes unless he gives me them.

Anyway – I’ve now got a plan – i was just aggrieved that this global company is now resorting to p####ing staff off in order to save minor costs which benefit everyone. I’ll not go into how we had a 4 senior managers at an event recently (1 from Atlanta and 3 from Amsterdam) nor the chief executive having a flying visit to open a new office. Bet he didn’t pay his flight costs either!

most companies do deals for heap rail travel, so they never pay full price,and usually a lot les than yoy can pay.