When System & People Mix

It is 14 October today, 1 more day left before the twice-a-month-official-claims-deposit-into-your-bank-account day. I have been anxiously waiting for this day as I have been paying my company expenses out of my own pocket. Given the nature of my work, it is a norm to use credit cards to pay for my accommodation and traveling expenses while I later claim it back from my company.

Why am I anxious? Well, the thing is all my big claims have not been refunded since I submitted my claim form back in late July / early August this year. According to my company policy, technically they will refund me within 6 weeks provided:

i) I submitted the necessary documentation (including supporting documents like receipts), and
ii) I fill in the form correctly.

I did item i) but I apparently didn't fill in item ii) correctly according to the HR who only informed me during early Sept (that is already 6 weeks by then). Apparently, I didn't fill in details on where, when and why I traveled in the correct boxes (despite the same information reproduced at the bottom of the form).

Source: http://www.combinedinsuranceservices.com/forms.htm

I was surprised as to why they took so long to send the form back to me (6 bloody weeks later!). For one thing, the processing of claims are done in a centralised location far away from my office. This of course involves internal mailing system which from what I experienced and was warned earlier, is rather slow. Also, it appears the letter was wrongly addressed and hence, the form dropped into general circulation pool which went round departments.

I felt very unhappy of course because the same company policy indicated any late claims charges arising from using credit cards are not their responsibility. And I am very disappointed that the same people who processed my claim form could easily call me as the form indicated my contact details (Read: telephone number).

All it requires is for the people in the claims department to make an extra mile i.e. call the claimant and inform them of the problems with their forms. Instead, because of the thousands of forms they have to process, they don't bother doing that. I wonder is it really that many forms for them to process. I was also told that because there are so many forms to process, it is possible to delay processing claims even if you did everything right.

Source: http://blog.lifebeyondcode.com/2008/04/01/an-extra-mile-there-and-a-mile-short-here/

Sigh... so yes, I am anxious about my claims. This never happen to me in all my other work places. Meanwhile, because of work, I have chalked up a big bill for the company. I am worried too if I will get my money for that claim. Given the rate things are going, I might not want to claim in future but instead do what my other colleagues did, ask for an advance.

Is it a system fault? Is it a process fault? Or is it just people who couldn't care because they felt overworked and they should only do the minimal and yet go back on time?

I don't quite know but I do know I will face cash shortage by end of this month if I don't get my claims. And yes, my company is not responsible for any late charges imposed by the credit card companies.


On my previous posting, I complained about Guan Eng and possible contravention of National Land Code. Apparently according to Guan Eng, the land in question is not considered as foreshore and this according to the him was deemed to be so by the previous state government.

I wonder how do a government decide whether which land is or is not a foreshore? Will two wrongs make a right? I seriously hope he doesn't conveniently close one eye just because the state government is strapped for money.