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Today my boss said that he spent quite a lot of money talking to me over the phone (~ $200), but he noticed it after a few months. I used a SIM card from another region, and the calls were ~10 times more expensive than usual.

I immediately offered to compensate for the expenses, but he expectedly refused, saying that it's not a big deal.

I didn't want to argue with him but I wouldn't want to leave it like this either. What can I do to change his decision or mitigate the situation in some other way?

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    Don't sweat it. Just don't do it again.
    – paparazzo
    Mar 16, 2017 at 21:11
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    If this conversation was work-related, then your company should be paying the expense, so you shouldn't be out of pocket. If it's your boss' company, then that $200 will come off the bottom line and lower his company's tax liability, and if you reimburse him, it could start to get sticky with tax regulations wherever you are.
    – HorusKol
    Mar 16, 2017 at 21:34

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This really isn't something to worry about.

$200 in the grand scheme of things is nothing. Just be careful in the future to not do it again.

If anything, it helped your boss realize they weren't watching their cell phone bills closely...

What can I do to change his decision or mitigate the situation in some other way?

I'm going to recommend you don't approach this again. Your boss probably felt dumb about the thing and reminding them is probably not going to be a good thing.

This is particularly true if your boss is using a personal cell phone and likely the best case outcome is for both of you to have company cell phones.

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    Also, if these calls are work related, ask for a company cell phone.
    – Stefan
    Mar 16, 2017 at 21:32
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    @Stefan agreed, was just editing to say that :-)
    – enderland
    Mar 16, 2017 at 21:34
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If your boss says not to worry about it, I wouldn't worry about it. If you want to do something about it though (which may be why your boss brought it up in the first place) you could try keeping your phone conversations to the point and checking other resources for information before going straight to your boss.

I would also look into getting a business phone in the region you work in. You didn't mention what your job is, but if you spend any time talking on the phone with other co-workers or worse, clients, you're also sticking them with a hefty bill by using your out-of-the-area phone. Your company may even be able to help you with this, since it's in their best interest for you to have an open channel to them without paying more in the long run for long-distance calls.

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It sounds like you've got a boss who is willing to go the extra mile for you. Good problem to have ;)

Instead of literally repaying someone that doesn't think money is a big deal, wait until something comes up that does bother him - a big deadline, company politics, etc. That's when he'll really appreciate $200 worth of your overtime. This can be unpaid if it makes you feel better, but as others have said, it's all the company's money at the end of the day.

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You could offer him an alternative like whatsapp voice calls or another similar service . That way, he would see that you are still worry about the situation, but at the same time you are really giving a possible solution for avoid that happens no more.

I don't think that you have to mitigate the past situation, you should think how avoid this again, although that money amount is probably not important for your boss.

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