Q: is receiving benefits from someone else/business spending illegal?
A friend works at a company which buys groceries from a store that offers points toward cheaper gas. The friend asked a coworker, who buys said groceries, to use his phone number in order to reap the points from the grocery store, for personal use, via the company spending money.
A:
Using a rewards program in a manner that diverts benefits intended for a company to an individual, without the company's consent, can raise legal and ethical issues. The legality of this action depends on the terms of the rewards program, the company's policies regarding employee benefits from corporate transactions, and any agreements between the company and the rewards program.
If the rewards program's terms prohibit transferring points or benefits to individuals for personal use when the spending is done on behalf of a company, then using the points personally could be considered a violation of those terms. Additionally, if the company expects to benefit from such points and is unaware of the arrangement, this could be seen as deceitful.
It's important for your friend to review the terms of the rewards program and understand the company's policy on employee benefits from company expenses. If there's any doubt about the legality or ethics of the situation, it would be wise to seek advice from someone with authority within the company or consult with a legal professional to avoid potential legal repercussions. Transparency and obtaining explicit permission from the company might mitigate any issues.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
