UK lags behind in employee business expenses, research shows

UK falls behind European businesses in expenses, as 32% of UK employees are expected to pay for business purchases with their own money vs just 7% in Germany and 10% in Spain, for example. The results are based on a YouGov survey of 3000 business professionals across Europe - including 1024 in the UK - that reveal how legacy expense processes are impacting employees’ working lives.

Just 22% of UK businesses trust employees with a company credit card, while only 18% currently have digitised expense management processes. Youngest employees are hit the hardest, with 14% of 18–24-year-olds saying that outdated expenses processes have led to them changing jobs.

Key findings, in short, from the survey include:

• Employees paying out of pocket -  the most common form of payment for business expenses in the UK was employee finances (32%) rising to 38% for businesses with 1000+ employees;

• Expenses cause stress for the employees - nearly a third (30%) of people surveyed reported having experienced financial loss or stress due to their expense processes;

• Employees aren't trusted - only 22% of UK businesses said they would trust their employees with a company credit card with a set limit;

• A reluctance to adapt - despite 40% of UK businesses wanting greater transparency when managing their expenses, just 33% are willing to change their current processes.