California requires employers to reimburse employees for reasonable and necessary expenses for work-related costs and expenses that an employee pays for our-of-pocket. That’s the sum and substance of California Labor Code section 2802. The legislative intent behind this law is to prevent employers from pushing off costs of doing business over onto employees. An employer can’t directly or indirectly lean on an employee to waive his or her right to reimbursement either. Contractual provisions or retaliatory conduct by an employer in this context are also prohibited.
Some Common Expenses Eligible for Reimbursement
An employee’s job description, its nature and requirements help in deciding whether an employee’s purchase of goods or even services can be reimbursed. Some common work-related expenses that are typically eligible for reimbursement include but aren’t limited to the following:
- Travel, lodging and meal expenses,
- Mileage expenses in a personal vehicle.
- Conference or training costs.
- Costs of work uniforms.
- Towing or emergency vehicle services costs for company-owned vehicles.
- Certain home office equipment.
- Partial phone bills when the employee uses their personal phone to take or make work-related calls.
Employers who fail to reimburse employees for reasonable and necessary expenditures that were made by employees or otherwise retaliate against employees who seek reimbursement can be confronted with wage and hour lawsuits that also provide for the employee’s court costs and attorney’s fees. If a pattern has emerged showing unjustified failures of your employer to reimburse you for reasonable and necessary employment-related expenses that you paid for, contact us to consult with an effective employment law attorney from our offices.
Contact our California Labor and Employment Lawyers today.
