NORTH AMERICAN TRAVEL & EXPENSE MANAGEMENT POLICY

Transcription

1 NORTH AMERICAN TRAVEL & EXPENSE MANAGEMENT POLICY

2 POLICY STATEMENT... 3 OBJECTIVE & SCOPE... 3 PRIORITIES & BENEFITS OF THE POLICY... 3 SECTION 1 - TRAVEL... 3 GENERAL ADVICE FOR TRAVEL BOOKERS AND TRAVELERS... 3 Authorization... 3 Where to Book...4 Insurance & Safety 4 Vaccinations... 4 PERSONAL ASPECTS OF THE POLICY... 4 Personal Telephone Calls... 4 Frequent Traveler Scheme Membership... 4 Denied Boarding... 5 AIR TRAVEL... 5 Domestic Routes... 5 International Routes... 5 HOTELS... 6 CAR TRAVEL... 6 Rental Car... 6 Personal Car... 7 PUBLIC & GROUND TRANSPORTATION... 7 CANCELLATIONS AND RE-BOOKINGS.. 7 SECTION 2 - PAYMENT, EXPENSE REPORTING AND REIMBURSEMENT... 7 PAYMENT - CORPORATE CARD... 7 CASH AND CURRENCY ADVANCES... 8 MEALS... 8 SUBMITTING & REIMBURSEMENT OF TRAVEL EXPENSES.. 8 DURATION OF POLICY... 9 APPENDIX

3 POLICY STATEMENT 1. Objective and Scope ELECTROLUX NORTH AMERICA TRAVEL POLICY The North American Travel Policy is designed to provide a consistent and effective approach to business travel and travel related expenses. The Policy is in compliance with the Electrolux Group Global Policy and applies to all employees of Electrolux North America (United States, Canada and Mexico). When conflicts arise between the policies set forth in this manual and the Electrolux Global Travel Policy, the Electrolux Global Policy shall take precedence. Electrolux North America may impose greater control measures than those published in the Electrolux Global Travel Policy but never less. Specific business units may, at their discretion, impose greater control than required by this Policy. 2. Priorities and Benefits of the Policy In developing this Travel Policy the following factors have been considered key priorities: Ensuring all employees have a clear and consistent understanding of policies and procedures for business travel and entertainment Providing business travelers with a reasonable level of service and comfort at the lowest possible cost Ensuring traveler safety Maximizing Electrolux s ability to negotiate discounted rates with preferred suppliers and reduce travel expense. SECTION 1 - TRAVEL 3. Authorization When a business trip is considered essential, each traveller must receive approval from his/her direct manager. It is mandatory for all travelers to fill out the electronic travel request form before embarking on the business trip. This is available on Concur (under expense tab new authorization request) if your division is not setup on Concur, you may utilize the Electrolux Online Travel Application page in the Travel Planner on E-gate. The electronic request form enables travelers to be located in times of emergency and enables compliance with the travel policy to be ensured. Previous paper format travel request forms no longer fulfill the Electrolux s requirements. Please note: The last 6 characters of the approval number provided by Concur must be communicated to the preferred travel agency or inserted in the on-line reservations; a verbal approval is not sufficient. If a business trip is performed without appropriate pre-approval from the Line Manager, an employee may be subject to disciplinary actions. Both the employee and the manager are responsible for limiting costs to only those that are necessary. Employees should consider alternative methods for meetings such as conference calls or web conferencing. Employees should attempt to book the trip 14 days or more in advance to receive the best possible rates. 3

4 4. Where to Book All necessary travel requirements for a business trip must be booked through Travel Leaders online booking tool (Cliqbook / Concur) unless your trip is a complicated, multi-city trip. Complicated trips (multi-city destinations, complex international destinations, etc...) may be booked over the phone with Travel Leaders Corporate during 8a 8p Eastern Time. Please note that afterhour calls to TLC will incur an additional charge of $20 on top of the standard reservation fees which will be charged to your corporate card. 5. Insurance & Safety While on company business, the traveler is covered by Electrolux s global corporate insurance policy. Travelers must always keep their manager/colleague/administrative support informed of any changes in their contact details during the trip. In the event of an emergency, please notify your immediate supervisor, HR manager or the Travel Department. For additional emergency support information, please refer to pages of this document. In order to track travelers in the unlikely event of an accident, it is imperative that all travel is booked using the on-line booking tool or the preferred travel agency and a pre-trip authorization has been submitted. Electrolux strongly recommends that travelers refrain from consuming alcoholic beverages if they will be driving an automobile (rental or private) while on company business, A traveler involved in an alcohol related incident, such as an arrest for DWI/DUI, an accident, disorderly behavior etc., will be subject to severe disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Travelers are required to immediately report an alcohol related incident to their manager. Furthermore, please refrain from texting and cell phone use while driving. 6. Vaccinations It is the traveler s responsibility to make the necessary vaccine arrangements with his/her personal physician. Vaccination cost can be reimbursed by submitting an Employee Expense Reimbursement Report. See appendix for more details. 7. Personal Aspects of the Policy 7.1 Personal Telephone Calls Electrolux will reimburse one personal telephone call up to a maximum of fifteen (15) minutes for each day spent away from home. 7.2 Frequent Flyer Schemes Traveling employees may retain frequent flyer program benefits. However, participation in these programs must not influence flight selection, which would result in incremental cost to Electrolux beyond the lowest available airfare, as defined in this policy. 7.3 Denied Boarding 4

5 Airlines occasionally offer free tickets or cash allowances to compensate travelers for delays and inconveniences due to overbooking, flight cancellations, changes of equipment, etc. Travelers must not volunteer for denied boarding compensation when on company business. 8. Air Travel All air travel must be booked through the on-line booking tool (Cliqbook / Concur) except for complex itineraries (multi-city destinations, complex international destinations, etc...) and when access to the tool is not available. In the event that the on-line tool is not accessible, contact the preferred travel agency. 8.1 Domestic Routes Both the on-line booking tool and the travel agent advise the traveler about the least expensive, most logical and available airfare that is to be taken. All domestic travel must be in Coach Class. First Class is acceptable if free upgrades are available. Upgrades at the expense of Electrolux are NOT permitted. Travelers are permitted to fly a direct route (non-stop) when available if the flight time is less than 3 hours. If the domestic flight exceeds 3 hours and the price of a direct flight is $300 greater than the next lowest price single connection flight in alternative city, you are expected to book the connecting flight. Please note: You are not expected to book double connections (two or more stops). 8.2 International Routes For the purpose of this policy, international travel covers all destinations outside the U.S. (excluding Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean). Employees are expected to use the lowest logical fare available. All international travel must be in Coach Class except: For employees with certain physical conditions/disabilities. When the Travel Manager has given prior written approval. When the flight exceeds 6 hours and the traveler lands and immediately goes into the office to work (will need travel manager approval prior to booking) Upgrades are allowed at the traveler s personal expense (including preferred seating). All classes like Economy Extra, Economy Plus and Economy Premium are considered as non economy classes and may only be used if approved by the travel manager or if the traveler is being upgraded without any extra cost for Electrolux. Any rebates earned for downgrading from business to economy class must be returned to Electrolux, and may not be retained by the employee. Travelers must not volunteer for denied boarding compensation when on company business. Please note: Travelers are expected to book tickets at least 14 days in advance of travel. 8.3 Miscellaneous Premium seats, airline and airport wifi and airline lounge access will not be reimbursed by Electrolux travelers will be responsible for these amenities on their own. 5

6 9. Hotels All hotel reservations are to be made through the on-line booking tool (Cliqbook / Concur) unless access is not possible. In this event, the travelers should use the hotel on-line booking tool available in the Travel Planner. In the event that both tools are unavailable, travelers must contact the preferred travel agency. Under no circumstances should the hotel be contacted directly for routine reservations. Travelers are required to use Electrolux Preferred properties where Electrolux negotiated rates are available. If an Electrolux negotiated rate is not available, travelers must use the least expensive property in a similar hotel category (see appendix for more information). If attending a conference, you may utilize the conference preferred rates if better than an Electrolux rate this may be booked through the conference planner or hotel per the direction of the conference planner. Travelers are responsible for cancelling hotel rooms and will be held responsible and will not be reimbursed for no show charges unless there is sufficient proof that the billing is an error, where the room was cancelled but the bill was still charged. Personal items such as videos, mini-bar, gym or massage are not reimbursable expenses, 10. Car 10.1 Rental Car Electrolux has negotiated rates with one preferred car rental supplier, Avis (see appendix). Employees must use the preferred rental car company when traveling on company business. Electrolux is considered to be self insured; therefore travelers must decline all insurance coverage. Please see pages for our insurance certificates. Rental cars should be returned with a full tank of fuel to avoid the rental company refueling charges. The invoice should be checked to ensure the corporate rate is applied, the mileage and times are accurate and no additional, unnecessary insurance has been inadvertently added. Travelers should rent a car when: driving is more cost-effective than airline or rail travel the distance to the destination is more than 250 miles it is less expensive than other transportation modes such as taxis, airport limousines or shuttle services entertaining customers Where appropriate, the use of hotel shuttles is recommended. Rental car reservations must be made through the on-line booking tool or the preferred travel agency. Travelers should book mid-size/intermediate class unless the group consists of four or more employees. Full-size or premium class may be used when traveling with customers or guests of Electrolux. At the time of rental, the car should be inspected and any damage found should be noted on the contract before the vehicle is accepted Personal Car Where a personal car is used for business mileage, reimbursement will be made according to the IRS authorized rate, which is maintained in the current expense report forms. Employees may use their personal car for business purposes: 6

7 if it is less expensive than renting a car, taking a taxi or alternate transportation if it is timelier than taking public transportation when transporting company goods for delivery when entertaining clients It is the personal responsibility of the owner of a vehicle being used for business to carry adequate insurance coverage for their protection and for the protection of any passengers. In addition, travelers will not be reimbursed for any repairs to their personal car even if these costs result from business travel. 11. Public & Ground Transportation Use public transportation wherever possible. Also, share taxis wherever possible. Please refer to the Travel Planner for additional information on ground transportation. 12. Cancellations and Re-bookings To avoid unnecessary charges, cancellation of travel reservations (including hotel reservations) must be made as soon as it is obvious that the business justification is no longer applicable. All unused paper air tickets must be returned to the preferred travel agency immediately. Electronic tickets are to be cancelled directly with the preferred travel agency. It is mandatory to re-use the cancelled tickets for one of the next trips. SECTION 2 PAYMENT, EXPENSE REPORTING & REIMBURSEMENT 13. Payment of Expenses CitiBank MasterCard is Electrolux s provider of corporate credit cards. Whenever feasible, travelers must use the CitiBank MasterCard to pay for all air travel, lodging, car rental, rail travel, meals and entertainment and miscellaneous travel expenses. THE CORPORATE CITIBANK MASTERCARD IS TO BE USED FOR BUSINESS PURPOSES ONLY. If personal charges occur, they must be paid in full by the next billing cycle or it will be treated as fraud. Employees are responsible for paying their MasterCard bill promptly each month. All Citibank MasterCard bills are due and payable in full upon receipt. In turn, Citibank MasterCard reimbursable bills are paid directly through the on-line expense management system, Concur (except expenses like daily allowances or mileage allowances which are transferred to the employee s accounts). Extended payments will not be accepted and delinquent cardholders will receive a written warning. Failure to pay the account promptly may result in: being charged delinquency fees, suspension fees or interest which are not reimbursable by the Company cancellation of charge privileges Electrolux receives regular reports on delinquent and canceled accounts and will address the matter accordingly. Failure to maintain the traveler's CitiBank MasterCard account is indicative of poor financial management skills and may adversely affect the employment relationship. Those accounts cost the company money in the form of lost incentive payments from CitiBank. 7

8 Electrolux will not pay for any late charges or interest charges that are a result of untimely submission of expense reports or failure to timely pay the account. The individual traveler will be required to reimburse Electrolux for any financial losses pertaining to delinquencies or credit losses from their individual account Commuters Electrolux will not reimburse car, hotel, meal and miscellaneous travel expenses (with the exception of airfare) for employees who do not physically reside and must commute to their assigned work location (i.e. Charlotte, Memphis, Juarez, etc ). All expenditures outside of airfare will be considered personal expenses and will be the sole responsibility of the traveler. 14. Cash Cash advances are not available from your Citibank MasterCard. 15. Meals Personal meals are defined as meal expenses incurred by the traveler when dining on an out-of-town business trip. Travelers will be reimbursed for actual documented meal expenses (i.e. with proper and original, itemized receipts MasterCard statements showing the purchase will not be accepted). See the appendix for expense guidelines. Business meals are taken with clients, prospects or associates during which a specific business discussion takes place. Employees will be reimbursed for business meal expenses according to actual and reasonable cost. Business meals expenses should always involve a minimum of one additional person apart from the Traveler him/herself. Electrolux reimburses the employee for three meals during a full business day breakfast, lunch and dinner including food and beverage. Any other type of drinks or snacks is considered as personal expenses and will not be reimbursed. 16. Submitting and Reimbursement of Travel Expenses Travelers MUST file expense reports as soon as possible upon completion of each trip. Frequent travelers and Field employees on extended assignments must file reports weekly. Travelers who do not file their expense report within the required time after trip completion: may receive written warning may be subject to disciplinary action Reimbursement will only be made for claims properly authorized by the relevant manager. Electrolux will only reimburse expenses upon production of an original receipt. Regardless of when the traveler submits his/her expense report, CitiBank MasterCard charges must be paid on time. Any credits received for business expenses previously submitted must be deducted from a subsequent report. Reports are available to monitor credits issued to the card but not reported on a subsequent report. Travelers can expect to receive follow-up s regarding credits not reported in expense reports. Submission of manual expense reports is not allowed for those departments that have access to Concur expense reporting. Please contact the Travel Department to find out if on-line expense reporting is available to you. 8

9 Electrolux is under no obligation to reimburse expenses or costs that do not conform to the current policy. 17. Visa and other travel documents Electrolux will reimburse the employee for costs relating to applications for visas or other applications relating to gaining access to the travel destination, including passport costs, in case the employee does not possess a valid passport. 18. Duration of Policy This policy will be in effect immediately and will be reviewed as business needs require. 19. Contact Information For any additional questions or concerns, please contact the Travel Department. 9

10 APPENDIX NA Employees Preferred travel agency The preferred travel agency, appointed by Electrolux, is Travel Leaders Corporate (In US: , in Canada: ) Electrolux s on-line booking tool The on-line booking tool available is Cliqbook / Concur: Further health information Health information for specific destinations is available at Hotels A list of all Electrolux preferred hotels can be found in the Electrolux Hotel Directory, available in the Travel Planner within E-gate. Preferred hotels in a particular city will be designated as preferred and will show at the top of the search list in Cliqbook/Concur. When a preferred vendor is not selected, please use the following guidelines: Non-metropolitan Areas $100 Metropolitan Areas (for example. New York, San Francisco, etc) $175 Please note: We are aware some travel markets are very expensive, please use your best judgment and obtain management approval if the hotels exceed the guidelines listed above. Rental Car The preferred rental car company is AVIS. Meals Travelers will be reimbursed for personal meals while on a business trip as long as a detailed original receipt is provided when filing their expense report. Meal expense guidelines are as follows: breakfast $15.00 lunch $20.00 dinner $25.00 Home Office Related Expenses (Field Employees ONLY) Electrolux will provide field based employees (those employees whose primary office location is their home rather than an Electrolux office) with a reimbursement of home office related expenses up to the limits described below: up to $45 per month home internet / DSL up to $30 per month dedicated home office phone line with long distance up to $30 per month personal cell phone Home fax lines are not considered reimbursable. Employees are encouraged to contact the IT Helpdesk to obtain a company issued Right Fax account. If a cell phone is required for the position, employees are strongly encouraged to request a company issued cell phone account through the IT Helpdesk. Employees are required to provide detailed receipts to receive reimbursement for all home office related expenses. 10

11 Contact Information CitiBank MasterCard 24 hour Customer Support Avis Cliqbook Support Travel Leaders: (US), (CA) Concur: Genesys Web Conferencing International SOS Philadelphia London Singapore Travel Leaders Corporate (US), (CA) Electrolux Travel Planner Website Electrolux North America Travel Manager Chris Brockman

12 TRAVELER INSURANCE 12

13 Policy # ETB

14 CANADA Travel Insurance (Coverage by AIG Insurance) BUSINESS TRAVEL ACCIDENT INSURANCE FOR EMPLOYEES OF ELECTROLUX CANADA POLICY NUMBER: GTP AMERICAN HOME ASSURANCE COMPANY PHONE: OR (collect) 14

15 Mexico Travel Insurance (Coverage by ISOS) 15

16 Auto Insurance Certificates US, Canada and Mexico (in order as listed). Driving in Canada: 16

17 Canada 17

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