Perhaps you have a job that allows you reimbursement for certain expenses. Like many California employers, your employer might require you to submit documentation for any reimbursement requests.
This is generally fine. Employers are allowed to request documentation from you to verify that your request for reimbursement is accurate.
But how do you know if your employer’s documentation policy goes too far? With so many transactions we do today being paperless, it is not always as easy as simply submitting paper receipts for your reimbursement requests.
When it comes to documentation for your requested reimbursement under this law, employers should be flexible. You might not have a physical receipt, but you should have some documentation showing the key information of the transaction.
What your documentation should include
This typically includes the purchase date, what you purchased, the amount of the purchase and your signature or some other indication that you were the one who purchased the item.
There is no requirement that this information be contained in one document. Sometimes you might be forced to submit multiple documents.
For example, you could have one document showing the item you purchased and another document, such as a bank statement, showing the price deducted from your account.
Your employer should not require all reimbursement documentation to be in physical form. A screenshot of a bank account transaction, or from a mobile payment service or electronic transfer app is sufficient documentation to verify a reimbursement request.
Gathering documentation should not be complicated
Overall, your employer should not be denying a reimbursement request because it comes in multiple documents or in an alternative form.
If you believe your employer’s rules surrounding documentation are violating the law, they could be committing a wage and hour violation.