After numerous campus interviews, Alex Sanchi, a student at BC, received two office interview invitations from the Orlando offices of two large firms. Both firms offered to cover her "out-of-pocket expenses" (travel, hotel, and meals). She scheduled the interviews for both firms on the same day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. At the conclusion of each interview, she submitted to both firms her total out-of-pocket expenses of $296 for mileage, hotel, meals, parking and tolls. She believes this approach is appropriate. If she had made two trips, her cost would have been two times $296. She is also certain that neither firm knew she had visited the other on that same trip. Within ten days Alex received two checks in the mail, each in the amount of $296. Did Alex handle the situation properly? If not what should she have done?

Question

Camron Carey

Business

17 September, 10:00

After numerous campus interviews, Alex Sanchi, a student at BC, received two office interview invitations from the Orlando offices of two large firms. Both firms offered to cover her "out-of-pocket expenses" (travel, hotel, and meals). She scheduled the interviews for both firms on the same day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. At the conclusion of each interview, she submitted to both firms her total out-of-pocket expenses of $296 for mileage, hotel, meals, parking and tolls. She believes this approach is appropriate. If she had made two trips, her cost would have been two times $296. She is also certain that neither firm knew she had visited the other on that same trip. Within ten days Alex received two checks in the mail, each in the amount of $296. Did Alex handle the situation properly? If not what should she have done?

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Answers (2)

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Saniyah Bird · Answer 1

Situation was not handled properly.

Interviews would have been scheduled for different days

Explanation:

Doubling bills is an un-ethical act of charging two different clients for the same time working while in reality the actual cost of time spent for each client is less than the bill submitted. This violates the law of professional conduct.

Alex's idea of submitting two different daily expenses to the two firms for interviews attended on the same day is double billing, which might attract fines or other punishments if discovered.

It would have been better if she scheduled the interviews on different days so far each of the firms are willing to cover the expenses.

Jacquelyn Oconnell · Answer 2

She should have been honest and transparent about the interviews to both potential employers.

Explanation:

A good working relationship is based on trust, honesty and ethical behavior from both the potential employee and employer. Alex, being dishonest at the beginning of a potential relationship, may ruin the chances of having that relationship. If either of her potential employers found out, she would be labelled as unethical and may face legal action for using funds from one firm to attend an interview of another. The honest action would have been to set different days (consecutive) and informed both that she would be there for both days and for what. This would have benefited her as well as it would have allowed her some time to prepare for the next interview.

A good member of any team is honest, trustworthy and reliable, among other traits.