What to do if…
an approved work expense or reimbursement is refused or no longer being paid

What to do now

1. Gather the written approval, receipt, expense report, submission confirmation, applicable expense policy, status history, refusal message, relevant pay statements, and any record of earlier payments for the same expense.

2. Save lawful copies somewhere you can access if your work account is restricted or closed. Keep only records connected to your expense and employment.

3. Write down the amount, purchase date, business purpose, approver, approval date, submission date, expected payment method, and the date payment was refused, reversed, or stopped.

4. Check whether the claim was denied, returned for correction, placed on hold, removed from a payment batch, or marked as paid without reaching you. Capture the current status before changing anything.

5. Send a calm written request to the manager, payroll team, or finance contact responsible for reimbursements. Identify the expense and attach the approval and receipt. Ask for the specific reason for nonpayment, the policy provision being used, and any correction or review process available.

6. If approval was given before you spent the money, quote or attach that approval and ask whether the employer now disputes the business purpose, documentation, policy coverage, amount, or payment processing.

7. If the employer says the policy changed, ask for the policy version and effective date being applied and whether it applies to an expense approved or incurred earlier.

8. Before incurring another similar expense, ask for a company payment method, advance payment, or fresh written confirmation that the specific cost will be reimbursed.

9. Check your pay for the workweek in which you incurred a required employer-related expense. If you are a covered employee and the cost may have reduced your pay below an applicable minimum wage or affected overtime pay, contact the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division or your state labor office.

10. If the dispute does not appear to involve minimum wage or overtime, check your state labor office’s information and consider legal aid. State law, an employment agreement, or the employer’s written policy may affect the available options.

11. If you face dismissal, discipline, threats, reduced hours, or another adverse action after raising a concern that may involve minimum-wage or overtime rights, preserve the dates and messages and contact the Wage and Hour Division or your state labor office promptly.