My supervisor often says "we run on rules, not logic" when something stupid comes up that we have to comply with.
When I first started travel expense claims were done on a paper form, we filled it out, put it with the hotel receipt and any business expense receipts and mail it to the accounting office. (hotel receipt MUST be zero balance and only 1 person in the room, commonly hotels put 2 on the form just as a default and I have to make sure they change it to 1, don't ask me why, our accountants don't like 2 on there, freaks them out).
Then at my previous job about 15 years ago they said we got this wonderful new computer system, just do it on-line, SAVE PAPER!!!?ÿ So we get to the training, all about how to do it YAY wonderful great.?ÿ At the end the instructor says get this...the system prints a transmittal form (more pages than the old manual one), have your supervisor sign it and then mail it and copies of the receipts to the accounting office.?ÿ We probably had a confused look on our faces but we did it, can't fight the bean counters.
Then I get to the State Fire Department, new job (12 years ago). My new bosses had talked the accounting office into accepting PDF of everything.?ÿ We didn't bother to sign the transmittal, the supervisor entering his password into the system was good enough.
All of a sudden last week I guess they finally caught up to us. Bulletin comes out, you must have supervisor sign form and mail it over.?ÿ Darn.?ÿ Read further, they accept Docusign.?ÿ Okay we are getting somewhere.?ÿ I find the IT guy and he comes over and shows us how to ship it to our Supervisor for Docusign, then after he does that it goes to the accounting office automatically.?ÿ I don't really know what difference it makes but okay we will comply.
The Black Rifle Coffee guys have a great podcast that I listen to some days during my commute. They had a gentleman on the other day from Cal Fire and I thought of you, and all the fires you guys are dealing with. Definitely a tough bunch of guys out there.
?ÿ
I loved the line from the old TV show "Get Smart" - It went something like, "Fill out this form in triplicate ... one for my files, one for the central archives, and one to burn."
Personnel in an Accounting Department are strange. They will fight for $0.50 and not question a $3500 invoice for ??extras?. Prior to selling my business, I had a huge client that overpaid by right around $65k on a very large PUD. I just about begged them to take the money back or it would screw up my accounting at years end. After over six months of me causing absolute chaos with them their Home office in Dallas sent me a certified letter stating all accounts for that project are closed, no further action on your behalf is necessary. After taxes it netted me about $38k.
Money for nothin, but the chicks ain??t free. ?????ÿ
And then there was the Pentagon department that was ordered to shred all their files.
But they made a copy of everything they shredded.
@flga-2
overpayments are the worst, there seems no way to reconcile them. underpayments are easy.?ÿ
You guys can send me all of your troublesome overpayments any time you like.?ÿ?ÿ
Licensed Land Surveyor
Finger Lakes Region, Upstate New York
@flga-2
And a minion working for a zombie debt guru just read your post and is preparing filings....
