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When a Colleague Won’t Pay Up

I often hear colleagues gripe about coworkers who borrowed money and never repaid it. The lenders felt awkward asking for the money back; they thought it showed poor manners. So, they resigned themselves to griping about a colleague who didn’t pay up. Some people who borrow simply don’t assign a high priority to repaying their debts.

You should establish a lending policy that recovers your debts. Spot colleagues a few dollars for lunch if they ask. If they haven’t repaid the money after a few weeks, ask them for the money. Sometimes you may find that the loan just slipped their mind.

Try some humor if necessary to nudge a colleague to pay: “I’m calling in all my debts. Please settle up ASAP, to avoid a hefty interest fee.” If the person continuously puts you off, then forget about the debt, resolve never to lend the person money again, and let it go.