tax question re 1099 for employee expenses under new tax law

[workburnout]

Currently I am paid as a W2 employee as a business to business salesperson. My company reimburses 1/2 of my expenses (includes product samples and logoed/advertising promotional items we must buy for customers who make us money) in a separate check. I used to be able to write off the 1/2 that were not reimbursed.

My company is still working out what they will do and said it will be a few weeks before they have an answer.

I'm wondering if they would be able to issue us a 1099 for the expenses and still keep us as W2 employees?

This affects over 200 salespeople at our company. I have asked what will happen but so far they do not have an answer other than they are "working on it".

Was wondering if anyone else had this happen and what their company did about it, or if it would even be possible to issue the 1099 in this way.

Of course they could switch us all to 1099 contractors but I do not think that is going to happen. Plus we get a lot of benefits being W2 employees.

Is there a way to go to a partial 1099 with the same employer who pays a W2, for the expense portion only?