Expense claim scams 'costing businesses'

A new survey has uncovered the business impact of employees making incorrect expense claims.

The findings of the study, conducted by hotel chain Travelodge, showed that every month employees claim, on average, an additional £17 above the expenses actually incurred.

However, despite this, less than ten per cent of workers have been found to be submitting falsified expenses and subsequently sacked.

"Even tweaks on everyday claims such as taxis, mileage and the odd bottle of wine can really rack up a business bill over the year," said Guy Parsons, chief operating officer for Travelodge, an organisation established in 1985.

"With the new financial year this is the ideal time for employers to adopt a low-cost culture, starting by reviewing their expenses policy."

Among the scams identified by Travelodge is the practice of adding untravelled mileage to expense claims and even billing companies for non-existent taxi journeys.

The organisation's findings are based upon a study of 3,000 individuals in the UK.