Hey all hope you are all well.
Background
I work for a smallish startup of about 100 people. I've been here for three years and manage a team of three as the Business Sales Manager. Last year, I made around $150k ($100k base, $50k variable/at-risk). However, the company recently made some major, across-the-board changes and slashed comp plans considerably.
In short, we've been asked to do more with less. I would have to increase my performance by 50% just to get paid the same. We are currently up 25%, but that still means I'm likely going to take a $10k hit this year. Part of this restructure requires me to be a "player-coach"—a manager who also sells and carries a personal quota (about 1/10th of the team's total, or 1/3rd of a single rep's quota). I'm fine with this, as I've done B2B sales for years and my leadership style is rooted in leading by example and empathy; I never ask my team to do something I wouldn't do myself. While this overall change isn't ideal, it's still a good job, and I believe my compensation is fair for my age and location.
Question
Since I am now out in the field part-time—prospecting, holding meetings, etc.—I want to start reporting my mileage. It feels a little "cheap" for a manager to expense mileage, but considering I'm doing the actual field work and facing a pay decrease, it feels warranted. I know most people here will say, "Why not?" but I'm wondering if there's anything I'm missing. Are there any bad optics to doing this? Thanks!