DOCUMENT HISTORY/ EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT FORM TITLE STAFF EPENSES POLICY REF BK1/HR/u/001 CREATED July 14 TYPE Policy New BOOK HR SECTION 4 PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR POLICY Mike Blackwell REVIEWED BY DATE REVIEWED NET REVIEW CHANGES Yes NO If YES record new version no. Mike Blackwell Created July 14 July 16 This P&P has an impact on: Impact Equality Impact Assessment Yes No form completed Yes Age If No comment: Disability Ethnicity Gender Religion or belief Sex orientation Socio-economic BK1/HR/u/001 Page 1 of 8 July14/ver01
EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT FORM What is the main purpose or aims of the policy To set out the policy for reimbursement of expenses incurred by staff while on duty Who will be the beneficiaries of this policy? All staff Has the policy been explained to those it might affect directly or indirectly? This is a new policy which reflects current expenses entitlements. It will be publicised widely Have you consulted on this policy? With Finance Controller and EMT What are the expected outcomes of this policy? Staff entitlements to expenses are clarified and summarised. Equality Target Group a) Positive Impact b) Negative Impact High Low High Low Reason/Comment BK1/HR/u/001 Page 2 of 8 July14/ver01
POLICY REF: BK1/HR/u/001 POLICY TITLE: STAFF EPENSES POLICY 1 POLICY STATEMENT It is recognised that many staff will be required to travel as part of their job. Nugent will reimburse to staff any expenses wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred in carrying out the charity s business in accordance with the provisions of this policy and on the condition that the appropriate procedure for the submission of claims is followed. This includes subsistence allowances where meals need to be taken whilst on business and away from the usual base. Staff are required to keep travel expenditure to a minimum by utilising the cheapest and most cost effective means possible, although personal safety should not be compromised for the sake of cost when travelling. Where staff have special requirements (e.g. disability, mobility or special dietary needs) that need to be addressed in a manner that is not contained in the policy then special provisions may be applied. 2. TRAVEL TO WORK FROM HOME Staff are required to travel between home and their normal place of work at their own expense and in their own time. Where staff are required to travel directly from home to a meeting or appointment at a site or address away from their normal place of work at the beginning of the working day, they will be reimbursed on the basis of the additional mileage travelled above the home to normal workplace mileage. Additional public transport costs will also be reimbursed provided the individual does not have a season ticket that would cover them for the whole journey. Travel costs from home to a location nearer than the normal workplace will not be reimbursed. 3. TRAVEL ON BUSINESS The mileage incurred through travel to meetings/appointments from the normal place of work will be reimbursed at the appropriate rate following submission of a mileage claim. Other necessary expenditure will be reimbursed on production of a valid receipt. Car journeys between Nugent sites will be reimbursed in accordance with the official mileage chart. BK1/HR/u/001 Page 3 of 8 July14/ver01
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4. PARKING FEES The cheapest possible option for incurring parking fees should be chosen at all times. Car park fees will be reimbursed if supported by appropriate receipts and parking meter charges will be reimbursed provided that details of date, times and location are provided with the expenses claim form. Costs associated with parking fines, clamping and recovery charges will under no circumstances be reimbursed. 5. RAIL JOURNEYS Rail journeys should be by standard class unless there are no available seats or unless the coach is so crowded as to make it impossible to work. In this instance an upgrade to first or standard first class may be made for all or part of the journey. Staff who are happy to use their own personal credit card may obtain greater savings using the internet to book their ticket. Where a group of staff are travelling together, greater savings can be made when a group ticket is purchased. 6. TAIS The full costs incurred when travelling by taxi will be reimbursed following submission of a valid receipt covering the journey, on the basis that this is the most cost-effective means of travel. Only licensed minicabs or taxis must be used and staff should never use unlicensed vehicles. 7. ATTENDANCE AT TRAINING COURSES Staff who attend training events or conferences taking place away from any of Nugent s establishments will be reimbursed for the additional cost/mileage of the journey to and from the training/conference venue above the cost/mileage of the normal home to work journey. The cost of attendance at training events/conferences taking place at Nugent premises will be reimbursed in accordance with 2. and 3. above. 8. SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCES Expenses incurred by staff when away from home or from their normal base will be reimbursed where substantiated by appropriate receipts. 8.1 Meal Reimbursements Staff will be reimbursed in accordance with the schedule below for the actual cost of meals purchased when working away from the normal place of work, up to the specified amount. Nugent will not reimburse the cost of any alcohol that may be purchased and staff are reminded of their duty to meet the requirements set out in the Alcohol BK1/HR/u/001 Page 5 of 8 July14/ver01
Consumption Policy. For the purposes of this Policy, a training or conference venue outside of Nugent is regarded as a work site, and attendance at such an event is regarded as being on duty. Staff Expenses Subsistence Allowances Rate Changes Effective From 1 st January 2014 The following rates for Subsistence Allowances take effect from 1 st January 2014. Business Subsistence Allowances Breakfast 10 Lunch 10 Tea/Coffee 3 Evening Meal 20 These allowances are claimable when staff are travelling for business purposes. The actual costs incurred are claimable up the specified value of the allowance and must be supported by receipts. The allowance for breakfast is claimable when a member of staff has to leave home before 7am to travel for business purposes and the evening meal allowance is claimable when a member of staff is returning home after 7pm from business travel or a business meeting. 8.2 Accommodation Staff may occasionally be required to stay away overnight. The Head of Service or relevant Senior Manager must authorise in advance any overnight stays where costs are expected to be met by Nugent. Consideration should be given to whether or not it may be more cost effective for an overnight stay to be arranged in conjunction with cheaper travel rather than for early morning travel at full cost. Such an arrangement may ensure sufficient rest and the opportunity to carry out any work associated with the journey. 9. TELEPHONES 9.1 Business telephones Nugent provides staff with individual mobile phones where necessary to help them carry out their job more effectively. It also recognises that staff may on occasions need to make private telephone calls from work. Where private calls are made using Nugent facilities the individual must pay for any additional cost involved. More details of staff responsibilities are contained in the Use of Telephones Policy. 9.2 Home telephones Staff are not expected to use their home telephones for business purposes although it may be necessary for them to do so occasionally. Staff who make BK1/HR/u/001 Page 6 of 8 July14/ver01
occasional essential calls on behalf of Nugent will be reimbursed on submission of a claim form supported by an itemised bill. As staff are not expected to use their private telephones for business purposes on a regular basis, they will not be entitled to reclaim a percentage of line rental costs. 10. EYE TESTS AND SPECTACLES In accordance with current health and safety legislation and the Health and Safety Policy, Nugent will pay for each member of staff that uses a VDU for the majority of the working day to have the cost of an annual eye test reimbursed, and where there is a need for frames and lenses specifically for VDU work, for the cost of these to be met up to a maximum figure of 75. 11. CANDIDATES ATTENDING INTERVIEW Travel and subsistence costs incurred within the UK by candidates attending Nugent for job interviews will be reimbursed on request following submission of valid receipts and/or travel tickets or mileage details. Reimbursement of international travel will not normally be met unless there are clearly defined business reasons for doing so and it is usual practice to meet travel costs from the port of entry to the UK. 12. GENERAL DISBURSEMENTS Staff are entitled to receive reimbursement in full for any incidental expenditure that is necessary to enable them to carry out their duties (e.g. stationery items not available via Administration). Authorisation should be sought from the manager in advance. Reimbursement will be made following submission of appropriate receipts. 13. PROCESS FOR THE APPROVAL OF EPENSES All staff are expected to use the forms that can be found on the staff intranet. They should complete the forms on a monthly basis, and ensure that receipts are attached. For the purposes of reclaiming travel expenditure, receipt can be interpreted as meaning train, bus or air ticket, paper receipt, bank or credit card statement or mileage claim. Signed expense forms are then passed to the appropriate line manager for checking and budget monitoring before being passed to Finance for payment by BACS. 14. BREACH OF POLICY Where staff are found to have made a false claim for expenses or to have authorised any claim knowing it to be false, resulting in a breach of policy, they BK1/HR/u/001 Page 7 of 8 July14/ver01
may be subject to disciplinary action, which could result in the termination of their employment. 15. DOCUMENT HISTORY Policies are reviewed at least every 2 years. This document was created July 14. BK1/HR/u/001 Page 8 of 8 July14/ver01