POE Page 1 of EMPLOYEE TRAVEL POLICY

Transcription

1 EMPLOYEE TRAVEL POLICY POE Page 1 of 9 1. General: It shall be the policy of Whatcom County to reimburse employees for mileage and outof-pocket expenses incurred performing assigned duties and conducting official County business. Employees of Whatcom County are expected to exercise prudent judgment when incurring travel expenses on official County business. All discretionary travel costs shall be kept to a minimum. Reimbursement will be made only for expenses incurred. Employees may not be reimbursed more than once for any expenses. Therefore, expenses reimbursed directly to the employee from other sources (such as, but not limited to, state agencies under the terms of a grant or contract) may not be submitted for reimbursement from the County. When specific rates of reimbursement for meals, lodging, mileage, or other travel expenses are identified in individual bargaining unit contracts, those rates (whether higher or lower) will be used in lieu of the rates set in this policy for employees covered by those bargaining unit contracts. This Policy sets the minimum standards regarding travel on Whatcom County business. Department heads may set additional, more restrictive travel policies for their departments within the guidelines of this policy, but may not change the rates of reimbursement. All County department directors/managers/employees other than elected officials shall provide the County Executive an advance written request for permission to travel outside the State of Washington, except that advance written permission is not required for travel to the Portland, Oregon or Vancouver, BC metropolitan areas (including the lower Fraser River Valley.) -

2 I Page 2 of 9 EMPLOYEE TRAVEL POLICY 12/6/93 Elected Officials may travel at their own discretion, within the limits of their budgets. The Financial Management budget preparation process. Committee will review this policy each year as part of the 2. Definitions: Conference - Any meeting, training workshop, or conference where attendance is required or previously approved by the County. Commercial Lodging - Lodging in an establishment that provides overnight sleeping accommodations and where a bona fide landlord/tenant relationship exists. Emplovee - Includes all regular status full-time and part-time employees and temporary full-time or part-time help paid through the payroll system, including elected officials. Excludes, contractors and individuals hired under Professional Services contracts. In-county Travel - All travel from a point of origin within Whatcom County to a point of destination also within the County. Non-commercial Lodging - Lodging in private homes, public or private parks, camps, and similar arrangements for overnight stay. Official Station - a) The building or location to which a County employee is assigned; or b) The place to which an employee returns upon completion of field assignment. Out-of-Countv Travel - All travel between a point of origin in Whatcom County and a point of destination in another county, province, etc.. Overnight Travel - Only travel requiring the employee to remain overnight.

3 12/6/93 EMPLOYEE TRAVEL POLICY Page 3 of 9 Residence - The actual dwelling place of the employee determined without regard to any other legal or mailing address. Travel Status - The period of time from departure to return. Time of departure and return as defined in this policy, means the time an employee starts from and returns to his/her official station, or when, for economy or personal reasons, if approved by the department head, he/she leaves from and returns to his/her residence or specified location, exclusive of time added to a trip for personal business. 3. Overnight Travel: Travel to points of destination within Washington, the Portland metropolitan area, and the Vancouver BC metropolitan area (including the lower Fraser River Valley) must be pre-approved by the Department Head. Travel outside these areas must be preapproved by the County Executive. Overnight travel requires advance written approval by the department head. Meal Allowance - The out-of-county commercial travel allowance for meals will be thirty-six dollars ($36.00) per 24-hour period. The 24-hour period(s) start(s) at the time the employee goes on travel status. When the County directly pays the cost of meal(s) or the cost of meal(s) are included in a conference registration fee, the following deduction to the per diem will apply: Breakfast Lunch Dinner $ Receipts are not required for meals.

4 - Page 4 of 9 EMPLOYEE TRAVEL POLICY 12/6/93 Banquets & Meetines - Employees may be reimbursed the actual costs of banquets or dinner/luncheon meetings when attending as an official representative of the county. LodPing Allowance - Employees will be reimbursed for lodging expenses only when they are required to travel overnight. Generally, travel within Whatcom & Skagit Counties will not be overnight travel. Employees shall request government or commercial rates when making accommodation arrangements. Lodging will be reimbursed at the actual rate paid not to exceed eighty dollars (80.00) per night (plus taxes), and receipts are required. Department heads may, in advance of the travel, approve reimbursement rates in excess of $80 for special situations when less expensive lodging is not available. -I Employees staying overnight in a private residence, personal RV, or other noncommercial lodging will receive a non-commercial lodging allowance of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per day. Receipts are not required. 4. Non-Overnight Travel: Department heads may verbally approve non-overnight travel. Travel within Whatcom & Skagit Counties is generally not overnight travel. Any employee required to begin travel status prior to 6 a.m. shall be entitled to a meal allowance of $8.00. Employees on travel status out-of-county over the normal lunch period (11 a.m. - 2 p.m.) will receive a lunch allowance of $10.00.

5 12/6/93 EMPLOYEE TRAVEL POLICY Page 5 of 9 Any employee who is out of county for two (2) or more hours (exclusive of eating time) beyond the end of his/her regularly scheduled work shift shall be entitled to a meal allowance of eighteen dollars ($18.00) No receipt is required. There is no meal allowance for lunch while on non-overnight in-county travel. exception: When a County employee is a scheduled speaker or presenter representing the County at (or otherwise attends on County business) a conference or meeting and is required to pay for a meal, that cost may be reimbursed. 5. Mileage Reimbursement: Employees may use privately-owned vehicles, with prior approval of the department head, for traveling on official County business. Mileage reimbursement for use of privately-owned vehicles will be at the current rate allowed by the Internal Revenue Service. When employees travel directly from or return to their place of residence, they will reimbursed at the lesser of the actual miles from their residence or official station. be 6. Reimbursable Expenses: Reimbursement shall be made for travel expenses, subject to this policy, including the following: - Taxi fares, car rentals, parking fees, ferry tolls, and private car mileage; - Registration fees required in connection with attendance at conventions, conferences, training seminars, and official meetings; - Meals at the per diem rate and rental of lodgings; - Incidental supplies and materials needed at training travel status. seminars or meetings while on

6 Page 6 of 9 EMPLOYEE TRAVEL POLICY 12/6/93 - Employees may be reimbursed for a five-minute telephone call home each night while on travel status. 7. Non-reimbursable Expenses: Certain travel expenses are considered personal and not essential to the transaction of official County business. Such non-reimbursable expenses include, but are not limited to: - Laundry, valet service, entertainment expenses, radio and television rental; and other items of similar nature; - Taxi fares, car rental, and other transportation costs to places of entertainment and other similar facilities. In addition, transportation expenses between an employee s residence and place of work are not authorized; - Costs of personal trip insurance and medical hospital services; - Personal telephone calls other than allowed in Section 6; - Food and beverages other than regular meals required by travel in the course of official County business. Alcoholic beverages are not a reimbursable expense. - Tips (other than tips for meal service identified under Section 6). Additionally, supplies and equipment for the office may not be reimbursed on a travel expense claim. These purchases must be made through the regular purchasing procedures.

7 12/6/93 EMPLOYEE TRAVEL POLICY Page 7 of 9 8. Documentation for Expenses: Receipts and documentation are required in support of travel expense vouchers. Each claim for reimbursement must be supported by a valid receipt except for the following: - Meals reimbursed at the per diem rate; - Day parking fees; - Transit fares; - Telephone calls when it is necessary to use a coin-box telephone or where the call cannot be charged to the County. - Expenses under $ Submission of Expense Claims: Itemized claims for reimbursement of expenses will be submitted on approved County expense claim forms (see Attachment 1). When making a claim for travel expenses, the employee must show the inclusive dates of each trip for which reimbursements and allowances are claimed. The time of departure and return must also be shown on the travel expense claim. Odometer/Tripmeter readings should be used for reimbursement of private car mileage. Expense claims should be submitted once a month. However, if the amount claimed is under twenty-five dollars ($25.00), submission may be deferred until this amount is exceeded, except that claims should be paid within the calendar quarter to which they apply. Travel claims must be paid out of funds appropriated for the applicable fiscal year.

8 POL2d121 Page 8 of 9 EMPLOYEE TRAVEL POLICY l2/6/ Expenses of Other Employees Generally, employees of the County will submit expense claims for reimbursement of their own expenses. Occasionally, it may be more efficient for one employee to pay the expenses of another. A common example of this is when two county employees share a hotel room at a convention and one of them pays the bill. In these situations, the employee claiming the reimbursement must prepare a detailed account that includes: a. Names of the others who traveled, partook of meals, or otherwise incurred expenses. rc- b. Whether they were county employees and, if not, who they were and what connection they had with county business. This should not be construed to permit promotional hosting. Note: County employees are not permitted to purchase meals or other expenses for non-county personnel except under limited circumstances such as witnesses, prisoners, or other occasions specifically allowed under a state or federal grant or contract. c. Who provided the lodging, meals, or other services in question, dates, and times. d. A detailed breakdown of amounts. e. Some statement sufficiently explicit to show what County business was being carried out when the expenses were incurred. 11. Travel Advances: (See RCW through ) When it is necessary for an officer or employee of the county to travel and incur reimbursable expenses, the County may make an advance payment to that person. Registration fees, hotel deposits, etc. that are required to be paid in advance should be paid through the regular voucher/claim process.

9 12/6/93 EMPLOYEE TRAVEL POLICY Page 9 of 9 The travel advance is not a loan, but is intended to defray the anticipated reimbursable expenses while traveling on County business away from the employee s offkial station. The advance shall not be made more than ten days prior to the authorized travel, unless the advance is to cover costs for required early registration or air fare, and shall not exceed $ unless authorized in advance by the County Executive. Within ten days following the close of the authorized travel period for which expenses have been advanced, the employee shall submit to the County Auditor a fully itemized travel expense claim for all reimbursable items expended, along with the unexpended portion of the advance, if any. No advance shall be made to any employee if he/she is delinquent in accounting for, or repaying, a prior advance.