Twenty two perecent of workers admitted making false claims on their expense accounts

British workers are fiddling their expenses to the tune of £1bn a year according to a Travelodge survey.

Twenty two percent of workers admitted that they regularly put non-work related claims on their expense account.

The survey of 4000 workers found that the typical worker wangled an extra £14.60 every time they made a claim, which was on average once a month. Over the year this amounted to £175.20.

A surprising 46% of those surveyed said that fiddling expenses was a legitimate way of supplmenting income, while 59% suspected that their colleagues were pocketing extra cash. Only 7% said they felt guilty about making up claims.

Of the false claimants, 5% said they used company money to woo the opposite sex while 6% used expenses to pay for hotel adult channels. Of the women surveyed 42% admitted they put clothes and accessories on expenses, while 34% of men claimed money for alcohol.

Only 4% said they had been caught out by their managers and 8% said they were more likely to increase claims if their bosses annoyed them.

Travelodge compiled a list of other un-businesslike claims made by British workers:

  • Extravagant holidays to Monte Carlo, Paris and New York
  • Neutering a cat
  • Hamster for son's birthday present
  • Prostitute while travelling abroad
  • Pregnancy kit for a one night stand
  • Masonic door knocker
  • Collectable stamps for personal collection
  • Dancing lessons
  • Family trip to Disney World
  • Luxurious Caribbean cruise
  • Gucci watch
  • Used wife's receipt to claim a USA flight - she worked in a different company
  • New furniture for the house
  • Condoms
  • New wardrobe of clothes after wife threw respondent out of the house

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