A throw-away on a random instance because I don't want to be get in trouble, not that lemmy is awfully popular among the tech-averse just yet lol.

I am keeping this somewhat generic and changing some details for anonymity and clarity, but the facts remain the same.

I had just started in a new department in the same company after transferring from another department I had spent 14 years in.

Just before I left my old position for the new position, I secured an award/grant for a business-related conference that would directly benefit my employer in my very-unique position. Think industrial control computer systems ore refining: the systems, machines, and industrial components controlled by these PLCs were pretty heavy-duty, so you wanted these control systems to be updated and maintained to prevent expensive downtime. Our primary maintenance vendor and PLC manufacturer were going to be attending so networking was going to be somewhat important. so I/we could get a sense of what was coming up. Yes, being so niche we kept a very open line of communication, but demoing systems, going over any outstanding issues, and future planning were just easier done in person.

With my new boss' approval I was permitted to go on the trip despite being in probationary status. You see, even if you've been with this company for years and years, individual departments can enforce their own probationary periods up to a year.

After hotel, flight, and incidentals, there was a slight gap in what the award covered, and what the actual cost of the trip was going to be. The amount was small in the scheme of my departments' budget, about $800 or so.

Even so, I covered $400 with an additional award match I found, leaving my new department to essentially pay $400 + per diem and whatever additional expenses that arose during the conference.

Upon arriving I discovered that, despite my award being in place, my hotel wasn't prepaid so I had to shell out for that unexpected expense right away, and I did not have a company card, so it went onto my AmEx.

I attended the conference but experienced a few logistical issues: Breakfast didn't show up two mornings in a row due to catering issues, lunch was really a bag of chips and warm diet soda, and dinner was (thankfully) on our own.

Upon my return I submitted my expense report for the hotel, missed meals, and other odds and ends, all in accordance to our very-strict travel policies.

I soon received a call asking why I was claiming approximately $45 for two breakfasts and two lunches when the agenda for the conference said that they were supplied. I explained the logistical issues, which had already been noted as an exception on the reimbursement because I just knew this was going to be a problem. If the agenda says a meal is provided, we don't get reimbursed. There was, unfortunately, no exceptions to the rule, the travel lady told me smugly. Later on I had hear her bragging about how she 'got the new guy' and 'we only had to pay for so little of this travel and we're going to gain so much from it!'

Some other pretty bad issues arose and, within weeks of my return, I found a much, much better department in which to work. Because of my niche skillset, I was asked to overload for 40 hours so I could maintain their systems and do knowledge transfer to the replacement. I was to do ten, ten, five, five, five, and five hours over six weeks.

So, you stiff me on $45 for meals, then want to pay me full pay to work 40 hours?

Ok.

I didn't do shit, collected my extra pay, and blocked them on Slack afterwards.

Don't be inflexible asshats.