Daughter's Employer Uses Her VISA

What is the name of your state?

My daughter, a college student, lives in Arizona. When she was looking for a job recently, there was a lot of competition, so she was happy to get a job as Personal Assistant to a local businesswoman.

This woman is always sending my daughter to pick up her purchases, but she has made no provision up front, such as a debit account, that my daughter could use to pay for these items. Instead, she expects my daughter to put the purchases on her own student charge account, for which she then reimburses my daughter.

I don't like this arrangement. I've never heard of an employer requiring access to an employee's personal charge account!

I think my daughter is afraid of losing the job if she speaks up about the problem. What is the usual financial arrangement in a situation like this? Any advice would be appreciated.

I don't like that arrangement very much either but it's not illegal. It's quite common for employees to be required to use their own credit card for their own business expenses and then be reimbursed but I think it's poor form to expect an employee to put the boss's purchases and/or general business expenses on the employee's personal credit card. It's not illegal though.

I have two thoughts for your daughter to consider:

1. She can very nicely tell the boss that she's not comfortable putting these expenses on her personal credit card and ask what other arrangements can be made.

2. She can tell the boss she decided to cancel her credit card because she found it was just too tempting and easy to run up a big VISA bill and she's decided to go "cash only" for a while in order to budget her personal finances better. (Yes, I'm advising her to lie, which is not something I normally suggest an employee do.) Consquently, they need to discuss some other payment arrangement for the purchases the boss is making, such as an advance from petty cash or a direct bill arrangement from the vendor. (In no event should your daughter end up agreeing to pay for these items with her own cash and then be reimbursed.)

I also don't advise that your daughter agree to the having the business woman put your daughter on as a signatory on the boss's credit card. That's just too fraught with the potential of allegations of misuse down the road.

The boss can always pay over the phone by contacting the vendor/retailer and giving them her credit card number. Then all your daughter has to do is pick up the item. That would certainly be my preference.

Thank you!

Thanks, Beth, that's very good advice!