You’re Lucky You’re Getting Anything, Dude

In an effort to encourage exercise and a healthy lifestyle, my company offers reimbursement for gyms and such up to $50 a month. All the employee has to do is submit a reimbursement request with proof of payment. As the administrator, it’s my job to clear these for payroll.

[Employee] has only been with us for a few weeks when he submits a request to be reimbursed for several years of memberships at a high-end gym that charges much more than the $50 limit. I reject his request stating that it does not meet the criteria. He fires back with an angry email, adding Human Resources to the recipients.

Employee: “Why offer reimbursement if you’re not going to follow through? I am entitled to this money.”

Me: “Hi, [Employee]. Unfortunately, we are only able to reimburse the value you spent up to $50 per month that you have been employed at [Company]. I see that you were hired on [date], which means we can reimburse for all gym membership charges starting that day. Before that, we are not going to reimburse. Thank you for reaching out for clarification.”

Employee: “Nowhere does it say I can’t get my money back for the time before I worked here. I was still a member. This needs to be fixed and added to my payroll this week.”

Human Resources chimes in.

HR: “[Employee], you are eligible for $50 per month that you are employed at [Company]. Any value over $50 or prior to [hire date] is not eligible. This is the final decision and any further communication on this subject will be viewed as insubordination. Thank you for your time.”

He did stop badgering about the money he was “owed,” but he made several comments in the following months about how much [Company] was ripping him off. I don’t miss him.