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Interview Expenses

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Aug 10, 2010
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Not reimbursed for interview
by: kk

I went for an interview with a large cosmetic company in North Carolina. The company decided not to reimburse for any of the incidental expenses, including hotel, meals. They stated that they were not hiring me and they were not going to reimburse me. I am out over $1000 dollars due to this interview. What legal rights do I have in this situation? I am very surprised that such a large company, one of the largest in the world, would not reimburse an unemployed worker? I am open to further comments.
Thank you.

________________

It's hard to believe that a large company would refuse to reimburse you for interview expenses. I'm not an attorney, so I can't give you legal advice, but I can give you some ideas about how to collect.

In responding, I'm going to make a few assumptions:

The company knew that you were coming from out of town for the interview.

You did not make any representations that you would pay your own way to the interview.

Your expenses are strictly related to the interview. You did not extend your stay in NC and expect reimbursement for extra days.

Here are my thoughts.

First, $1000 for "incidentals" seems very expensive, assuming that this number does not include airfare. In a typical interview situation, a candidate flies into town the night before the interview, and then returns home on the day of the interview after meetings are concluded. Meals would include two dinners (max), breakfast and lunch, if that's not part of your interview schedule.

In fairness to the company, your meals should not be extravagant. They should not be asked to buy alcoholic beverages. And, you should be booking a moderately priced hotel. You don't need to pick a discount chain, but booking a five star hotel is not appropriate.

As you were scheduling the interview, did you review the logistics with the company? Do you have any documentation that confirms what they will pay for? If you don't have documentation, you might have more difficulty, but I would not give up.

Who is denying your request? The hiring manager or Human Resources? Whichever it is, go to the other and ask for their help in getting your expenses reimbursed.

Large companies have a policy around reimbursing interview expenses. And, it has nothing to do with whether the candidate gets hired.

If there was a third party recruiter involved, enlist their help in getting reimbursed.

If you're still having difficulty, write a letter to the VP of Human Resources, including whatever documentation you have from the company, and your receipts. Ask for your situation to be reviewed.

It's important to be professional throughout this process, despite the frustration.

If all of this fails to produce the desired result, give me a call. (See our home page.) We can put our heads together and talk about some different avenues for you to pursue.

Cindy McGeever

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