Labour frontbencher Abena Oppong-Asare has made headlines after it was found she filed a parking fine on her expenses, expecting taxpayers to foot the bill.

The shadow treasury minister received the parking ticket after parking outside a constituency surgery and is now facing calls to resign.

Following a review, the scandal has prompted the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority to change its processes.

Alan Price, CEO at BrightHR, weighed in on the situation. He said: “This really brings into view the importance of having a clearly laid-out expenses policy in place, to promote consistency and ensure fairness, and employees and employers should adhere to it.

“It should be communicated to all employees so they are aware of what expenses are allowed and what is out of bounds, how they can be reimbursed, and what documentation is required. Without a clear policy, there is a risk employees will submit inappropriate expenses – or, on the other hand, they will not be reimbursed for legitimate expenses which can be detrimental to employee morale and wellbeing.

“Additionally, a clear policy can help to prevent fraud or other financial misconduct, as well as ensure the business acts ethically and is in compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

“According to the expenses watchdog, ‘MPs and their staff are not allowed to claim for penalty charges and fines under Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) rules’ with the rule being ‘clearly stated’ in its code of conduct for MPs.

“As such, the offending behaviour is not acceptable and appropriate action should be taken.

“It’s worth noting that MPs do not fall within the usual employment law rules as they are technically office holders rather than employees. But expenses are very much a matter that business owners do have to manage — and manage correctly.

“A business expense tracking app like PoP helps to remove the risk of lost of unpaid expenses, whilst making managing employee business costs quick, easy, and stress-free. Having a clear overview of the expenses being submitted by your team is integral to ensuring they are dealt with appropriately, and that’s why any good expenses tracker will facilitate that.”