Travel Policy for the employees, members of the Board, trainees and subcontractors of the Sweden Emilia Romagna Network

Transcription

1 Travel Policy for the employees, members of the Board, trainees and subcontractors of the Sweden Emilia Romagna Network Valid as from: January

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Travel Policy Purpose Travel Authorization Travel Arrangements Reservation Procedures Travel Documents Air Travels Flights within Europe Lost baggage Excess Baggage Denied Boarding Compensation Overnight delays Hotel Reservations.6 6. Rental Cars Rental Car Guidelines Returning Rental Cars Rental Car Accidents Fines Received Other Forms of Transport Transfer to/from Bologna or Milano Airports Taxis in Bologna Private Cars Mission Allowance Private stays after business stays Travel Insurance Credit Cards and Pre-Paid Cards Travel Expense Form

3 14. Main Remboursable Expenses Non-Remboursable Expenses Appendix 1: Business Meals

4 1. TRAVEL POLICY PURPOSE This document provides guidelines and establishes procedures for Sweden Emilia Romagna Network staff, members of the Board, trainees and subcontractors who incur travels on the Network s behalf in the context of the institutional activity of SERN and in the context of EU funded projects. Objectives: To ensure that the employees have a clear and consistent understanding of policies and procedures for business trips; To provide business travelers with a good level of service and comfort and at the same time reduce travel expenses. 2. TRAVEL AUTHORISATION Project Officer(s) (employee - level 3) and trainees must request a travel authorization from the Network Coordinator (employee level 1) before a mission in the context of SERN institutional activities or within the framework of EU funded projects. 3. TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS 3.1 Reservation Procedures Travelers should make reservations as far in advance as possible to take advantage of the best flight fares and agreed hotel rooms prices. Employees are allowed to buy tickets in internet if the price is lower than using a travel agency. The employee must buy the most convenient fare, carefully evaluating possible limitations, such as not reimbursable or no changes allowed, that are indicated in buying conditions. Railway tickets must be bought online on the websites of the carriers. 3.2 Travelling documents Tickets, vouchers, hotels booking are kept online and printed copy is stored at the Secretariat. 4

5 4. AIR TRAVEL All flights must be taken in economy class regardless of the airline. Possible flights in business class must be authorized by the Chair of the Executive Board. An air travel in economy class offering extra services such as Economy Extra, Economy Flex, etc. is subject to the approval of the Network Coordinator. Should the employee pay the travel with a personal credit card the ticket cost will be refunded through the travel expenses claim form. 4.1 Flights within Europe All flights must be in Economy class. Employees may only use Business class tickets or equivalent if Economy class tickets are not available. Economy class tickets can usually be modified or reimbursed upon payment of a surcharge. 4.2 Lost baggage The airline is totally responsible for recovery of, and compensation for, lost baggage. For loss or damage arising during travel, the carrier concerned must be informed and a report presented. The loss of money should be reported to the police within 24 hours of discovery. The relevant form should be obtained from, and authorized by, the carrier or handling agent. Compensation is paid only on condition that due care has been taken. If lost baggage is not found within 12 hours of its being reported lost, employees may purchase essential items for up to a maximum of (this does not apply when returning from a trip). Original receipts, invoices and any other documentation regarding such expenses must be kept. Claims (together with original receipts/reports from police, carriers, hotels etc.) should be sent immediately to Ace European Group Ltd. 5

6 4.3 Excess Baggage Employees will be reimbursed for excess baggage charges only in the following circumstances: when traveling with heavy or bulky materials or equipment necessary for business; when the excess baggage contains SERN records or property. 4.4 Denied Boarding Compensation Airlines occasionally offer free tickets or cash allowances to compensate travelers for delays and inconvenience due to overbooking, flight cancellations, technical problems, etc. Travelers may volunteer for denied boarding compensation only if: flying outside normal working hours; the delay to their trip will not result in any interruption or loss of business. 4.5 Overnight delays Should an airline delay necessitate an overnight stay, the traveler should first attempt to secure complimentary accommodation from the airline. Additional costs associated with delays will be paid by SERN. 5. HOTEL RESERVATIONS AND MEALS Hotel reservations should be made online, whenever possible using hotels with negotiated rates with member organizations. The total daily costs of hotels and meals must not exceed the 2013 daily subsistence ceilings established by the European Union for its programmes. BELGIUM - BE 232, BULGARIA - BG 147, CZECH REPUBLIC - CZ 195, CROATIA - HR 214, DENMARK-DK 311, GERMANY -DE 220, ESTONIA-EE 175, GREECE- EL 220, SPAIN-ES 227, FRANCE - FR 269, IRELAND-IE 253, ITALY - IT 247, CYPRUS-CY 194, LATVIA- LV 172, LITHUANIA-LT 168, LUXEMBOURG - LU 232, HUNGARY- HU 184, MALTA - MT 191, NETHERLANDS- NL 242, AUSTRIA- AT 246, POLAND- PL 179, PORTUGAL-PT 197, ROMANIA - RC 161, SLOVENIA- SI 208, SLOVAKIA-SK 186, FINLAND -FI 277, SWEDEN- SE 275, UNITED KINGDOM - UK

7 6. RENTAL CARS 6.1 Rental Car Guidelines Travelers may rent a car at their destination when it is less expensive than other forms of transport such as taxis, bus services and airport shuttles, or if it is necessary for business reasons. Employees traveling alone should rent a small or midsize car (maximum 1600 cc cat. D). Those traveling in groups of three or more may rent a larger car (not above 2000 cc cat G). At the time of rental, the car should be inspected. Any damage found should be noted on the contract before the vehicle is accepted. 6.2 Returning Rental Cars Every reasonable effort should be made to return rental cars: intact (i.e. no dents, scratches or mechanical failures); on time, to avoid additional hourly charges and/or the vehicle being reported stolen; with a full tank of petrol. 6.3 Rental Car Accidents Should an accident occur with a rental car, travelers should immediately contact: local Authorities, as required by law the rental car company (for rental car damage) 6.4 Fines received All employees must respect the highway code. Before leaving for a trip in a foreign country, employees should inform themselves on the laws of the destination country, including the payment methods of the motorways, annual road tax, motorways circulation taxes, tolls, etc. In cases where the law is not respected, the fines that are forwarded by the car hire companies, must be paid directly by the employee. 7

8 7. OTHER FORMS OF TRANSPORT Public transport must be used whenever practical. Taxi charges incurred while on business trips will be reimbursed, on condition that this is a more economical or more practical solution than renting a car. 7.1 Transfer to/from Bologna or Milano Airports Employees can use their private car (see point 8). 7.2 Taxi in Bologna Taxis in Bologna should only be used by visitors and employees for local trips. 8. PRIVATE CARS Employees may use their private car as an alternative to taxis, trains and rental cars. The mileage reimbursement scheme is based on official ACI (Automobile Club d Italia) tariffs. As for EU project the rate to be used is set at 0,22 /km. Employees should specify the distance in kilometers between the employee s dwelling and the destination city, since SERN only reimburses the kilometers actually driven. If motorways or toll roads are used during journeys, employees should conserve receipts and add them in the Travel Expense form. 8

9 9. MISSION ALLOWANCE While on business trips out, employees claim the costs on the basis of the TEC form. SERN does not correspond per diems to cover meals and other costs. Howver, as foreseen by the National Contract (CCNNLL) the Employees are entitled to a mission allowance (indennità di trasferta) according to number of full days indicated in the programme of the project event or scheduled meeting(s). These costs are part of the remuneration of the employee and are specified in the pay slip. A mission allowance of half-a-day might be claimed when travel to/from the destination begins or ends after The conventional time after which a full day allowance can be claimed is 20:00 hours. 10. PRIVATE STAYS AFTER BUSINESS STAYS The air ticket must be of the same value or less than the cost of the ticket which would have been issued for duration of the business stay only. Any other expenses will not be refunded. Documents showing the cost of both solutions must be enclosed with the expenses notes. 11. TRAVEL INSURANCE Under Italian law, all employees are covered 24 hours a day/365 days a year by the compulsory National Insurance System. 12. CREDIT CARDS AND PRE-PAID CARDS A Company Credit Card (CCC: debited to the SERN bank account) is assigned to Network Coordinator only. The card will be used whenever possible to cover travel and subsistence costs. A pre-paid card might be used in relation to specific projects. 13. TRAVEL EXPENSES CLAIM (TEC)FORM Employees anticipating travel costs for SERN should submit the following documentation along with their TEC form: 9

10 rail/air ticket; hotel invoice, which should clearly state traveler s name and the services paid for; car rental receipt receipts for all miscellaneous expenses. A Travel Expense Claim can only be reimbursed if the form has been approved by the Network Coordinator. Original invoices/receipts should be submitted whenever possible; they should always include the name of the vendor, location, date and amount. Employees are kindly requested to enclose only documents connected with business trips. In other words, the Travel Expense form is unsuitable for claiming other kinds of reimbursement. Reimbursements cannot be claimed without a receipt. Expenses incurred in foreign currencies should be claimed using the rates applied by the bank of the employee. 14. MAIN REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES Employees will be reimbursed for the following most common business expenses: air/rail/ferry/bus/subway tickets; hotels; office expenses (fax, copy service, etc.); bank and credit card fees when buying foreign currency; rental car petrol; parking; private car mileage; taxis; motorway/tunnel tolls; visa/passport/consulate fees; lost baggage together with Ace European Group Ltd claim form 15. NON-REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES Employees will not be reimbursed for the following miscellaneous expenses: airline club membership fees; laundry charges; car wash; expenses for travel companions/family members; 10

11 expenses related to a vacation while on a business trip; hotel health club facilities, sauna, etc.; in-flight telephone charges; purchase of briefcases; phone calls from the hotel; hotel in-house movies; personal entertainment, including sport events; rental car upgrades; souvenirs/personal gifts. 16. APPENDIX 1: BUSINESS MEALS Business meals are defined as lunch or dinner expenses incurred with representatives of members, suppliers, or employees from other organizations during which a specific business discussion takes place. Please add: the original restaurant bill (ricevuta fiscale: not invoice); the name of participants, their organization name. Meals taken with employees of SERN (e.g. at Christmas time) follow the same rules as above. 11