Almost half of all office workers use personal cash or cards to pay for business expenses, it has been reported.

According to research conducted by Capital One, employees are spending an average of £367 a month settling bills for their employers.

And with 45 per cent of these individuals failing to make expenses claims to recoup their money, many workers are finding themselves out of pocket.

Travel within the UK was the main business expense, with over half (51 per cent) of those surveyed claiming for this, followed by the purchase of office equipment and supplies (34 per cent) and overnight accommodation (33 per cent).

Just 14 per cent of employees surveyed said they use a business credit card and even fewer – seven per cent – a business debit card when spending for their employer.

But if all employees were to do so, they would save a combined £292 million a year – the equivalent of £22 per worker.

The main reason for employees failing to make expenses claims was lost receipts (42 per cent), the study revealed.

Some 33 per cent of respondents said they thought it was simply not worth the hassle.

Michael Woodburn, chief marketing officer at Capital One, said that failing to do so can be “a very costly oversight”.

If employees are not reimbursed this is likely to impact on their morale levels and likelihood of giving their all to the cause. As such, employers – as well as employees themselves – are incentivised to make sure workers are not left out of pocket when they buy goods for the company.