Expense rules are clear on paper – so why are 55% of employees still unsure? 

Expense policies are meant to make spending at work easy. In reality, they often do the opposite – or so our latest research suggests. 

Research shows that more than half of UK employees (55%) hesitate before submitting an expense claim – even when it’s legitimate. This hesitation wastes time and creates hidden costs. 

So, why is something as simple as an expense claim creating so much stress? 

Clear on paper, confusing in practice 

The majority of finance leaders believe the rules are clear (69%), but employees tell a different story. While finance sees process and structure, employees see admin and risk.  
 
What if it gets rejected?  
What if it looks bad? 

This is where blurred lines appear. The result is hidden costs and missed opportunities. Growing frustration and dwindling morale.  

Expense stress is real 

Submitting an expense claim shouldn’t feel personal, but research shows that for many employees, it does. 

A surprising number of employees say expense claims make them anxious (23%). In fact, challenging a rejected claim ranks among the most stressful things at work, right behind asking for a pay rise. 

To finance teams, it seems like a simple process. To employees, it feels like walking a tightrope between doing the right thing and being judged for it. 

The glaring gap between leaders and teams 

The data points to something deeper than admin pain points – a cultural gap. Finance leaders think their processes empower teams to spend confidently. Employees say those same processes slow them down, or even worse, make them dip into their own pockets. 

This disconnect hurts morale and clouds visibility. When everyday spending goes unclaimed, businesses lose sight of what’s happening with company money and how it impacts budgets. 

Fraud is evolving faster than finance 

Then there’s AI-generated expense fraud. 

Tools that can create fake receipts in seconds are no longer premonitions of the future – they’re here. And finance leaders admit their current systems wouldn’t spot them. 

“I was shocked by how easy it was to create a fake receipt. The only way to stop it is to make every payment traceable and visible. It gives finance teams control and employees the freedom to spend confidently”, says Sacha Herrmann, CFO at Soldo. 

In Italy, regulations are forcing businesses to act. In others – like the UK – change is being driven from within. Either way, the message is clear: the future of finance is traceable. 

From paper rules to practical systems 

Expense policies shouldn’t live on paper or PDFs. They should exist in practice. 

This means systems that show employees what they can spend before they spend it and finance teams that see every transaction as it happens. 

With clearer lines, everyone wins. Employees feel trusted, finance stays in control and businesses capture the full picture of their spend.