Contractors/consultants 3 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL 3. Overseas travel (from the Comcare Enterprise Agreement ) 3

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1 TRAVEL CEO Instructions CEO Instructions are procedural in nature. They explain significant policies and procedures that are to be complied with by all Comcare staff and contractors. The CEO Instructions may be supported by policy frameworks, process manuals and templates. TABLE OF CONTENTS SCOPE 2 POLICY 2 PRINCIPLES 3 Contractors/consultants 3 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL 3 Overseas travel (from the Comcare Enterprise Agreement ) 3 RESPONSIBILITIES 4 Employees 4 Working hours 4 Managers 4 Travel approval 5 Comcare credit card 5 Travel to rural and remote areas 5 Non-ongoing employees and non card holders 5 TRANSPORT 6 Principles 6 Making travel arrangements 6 Air Transport 6 The lowest practical fare 6 Lounge membership 7 Frequent flyer points 7 Motor vehicle arrangements 7 Car with driver (taxis) 7 Self-drive vehicle 7 Use of private vehicle 8 Safe driving (OHS) 18

2 ACCOMMODATION 8 Non-commercial (private) accommodation 8 Commercial accommodation 9 Expenditure limits for commercial accommodation 9 High cost country centres accommodation expenses 10 Tier 2 country centres 11 EXPENSES 12 Daily cap for out of pocket expenses (meals and incidentals) 12 Non acquittable amount for out of pocket expenses 12 Cash payment facilities 13 Travel not involving an overnight stay 13 Other costs arising from travel 13 AUDIT 13 RECORDS/REPORTING 13 LINKS 14 FURTHER INFORMATION 14 SCOPE 1. This direction sets out Comcare s policy on travel. It provides guidance to employees travelling on official business and to managers approving official travel. 2. All employees who travel, process travel or approve travel are responsible for complying with this direction. 3. For the purposes of these Instructions employees are ongoing and non-ongoing employees engaged under the Public Service Act 1999 whose conditions are covered in the Comcare Enterprise Agreement or other relevant industrial instrument. 4. These instructions must be read in conjunction with CEO Direction Corporate Credit Cards. 5. For periods of travel over three weeks employees must consult the Relocation Guidelines as there are different taxation implications for periods of travel over three weeks. POLICY 6. Travel is a significant expense to Comcare, opportunities to explore other options such as teleconferencing, video conferencing and combined scheduling should be considered before travel is undertaken. Travel should only be undertaken when it is the most effective way to achieve Comcare s business outcomes. 7. Comcare is required under the 2012 Commonwealth Procurement Rules (CPRs) to achieve value for money when purchasing goods and services. Value for money in official travel will be obtained by purchasing the Lowest Practical Fare(LFP). The LPF is the lowest fare available that leaves within 45 minutes of the latest possible departure which suits the business needs of the traveller. 8. Comcare has adopted a reasonable and actual costs incurred method for the payment of travel related costs, supported by the issue of credit cards to employees who are, or may be, required to travel on official business. Please refer to the CEO Direction Corporate Credit Cards for conditions of use. CEO INSTRUCTION TRAVEL 2

3 PRINCIPLES 9. The following principles apply to the undertaking of travel on official business: > employees will not be out of pocket for the reasonable costs of transport, accommodation, meals, incidentals and other expenses incurred > employees should not gain financially when they undertake travel for official purposes > travel expenditure should always be economic, efficient, ethical, honest and defensible > in organising and approving travel for official business, managers shall be flexible in accommodating the needs of employees, taking into account family responsibilities, personal circumstances, safety, security, and other relevant factors that may affect their ability to travel. Contractors/consultants 10. Travel by contractors/consultants on Comcare business and associated travel expenses or reimbursements are subject to approval by the appropriate Comcare manager. The manager should consider any existing contract or agreement with the contractor in making any travel related determinations. This policy may be used to base indicative amounts for reimbursements of actual costs as a contractor will not be issued with a corporate credit card nor are they entitled to any non-acquittable amounts. INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL 11. All international travel needs prior approval of the Chief Executive Officer or the Deputy Chief Executive Officer. Employees who fly internationally will travel business class. International travel rates may be determined by reference to the ATO determination TD2012/17. The ATO determination gives no indication of reasonable rates for accommodation; therefore accommodation should be booked after consideration of the travel principles in this instruction. Consult the Finance Circular No. 2012/05 Use of Best Fare of the Day for Official International Air Travel for further information. Employees should consult the People Team when drafting travel allowance submissions. 12. Whilst travelling overseas employees should not use roaming facilities on their mobile communication devices without careful consideration due to the high cost of these services. The Technology Team should be consulted where access to mobile telecommunications is required overseas, they can advise on the use of Comcare phones and laptops overseas, provide a stand alone phone and or phone cards based upon the destination/s. Overseas travel (from the Comcare Enterprise Agreement ) 13. Business class air travel (or recognised equivalent) will be used where an employee is required to travel overseas on official business. Where the journey involves travelling time (means the period between the latest recommended airport check-in time for the scheduled departure from the place where the journey originates and the scheduled time of arrival at the destination, excluding any rest period or stop over en route where the employee is not required to work) of more than 12 hours, the employee will not be required to attend work before having had a reasonable opportunity to recuperate, either at the destination or en route. An employee is taken to be at work during this rest period, with the rest period not to exceed: hours in respect of travel to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas or the West Indies; or hours in any other case. 14. Where an employee becomes ill while travelling overseas on official business, he or she may use his or her corporate credit card to pay for any necessary medical, dental or hospital treatment for the illness or, where the employee pays for any such treatment himself or herself, Comcare will reimburse the employee the cost of the treatment. CEO INSTRUCTION TRAVEL 3

4 RESPONSIBILITIES Employees 15. Travel approval must be sought and documented prior to travel being undertaken, the exception to this is where paragraph 26 or 28 applies. An optional Travel Form is available on the Intranet to streamline reconciliations for each trip, travel expenditure must be acquitted as part of the credit card reconciliation process. 16. Employees who incur expenditure, or commit Comcare to future expenditure, that is not in accordance with this direction risk misconduct action. The misuse of a Comcare credit card may result in the employee being required to reimburse Comcare for inappropriate expenses incurred, and the initiation of misconduct action against the employee. Misuse may also result in referral of the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions. 17. Travelling employees must not enter competitions or accept gifts or winnings where the travel is at Comcare s expense. Further information is available on the Intranet: CEO Direction Gifts and Other Benefits. 18. Employees travelling or working temporarily at a location away from the home office must ensure that they behave in accordance with the APS Code of Conduct. Further information on the code of conduct can be found in CEO Direction Breaches of the Code of Conduct. 19. Responsibilities associated with the use of Corporate Credit Cards are outlined in the section of these Instructions titled Comcare Credit Card and the CEO Direction Corporate Credit Cards. 20. Comcare employees must not, under any circumstances, use any Frequent Flyer Points (FFPs) accrued through work related travel on any personal travel arrangements. 21. Comcare employees must only use taxis for official purposes, such as transport to and from the airport on the day of travel and from Comcare offices to other work related locations. Working hours 22. Travel will ordinarily be conducted within the bandwidth of 7 am to 7 pm Monday to Friday, travel outside this bandwidth should only be approved following consideration of the traveller s personal preferences and circumstances. 23. Where travel is undertaken outside the bandwidth, travel time for the purpose of calculating working hours commences from the time the traveller is reasonably required to leave their current location (eg. home, office) in order to arrive at their destination at the required time, and ends when the traveller reaches their destination. 24. Travellers must discuss and confirm their work arrangements with their manager prior to departure. When determining reasonable time off for travel undertaken outside the bandwidth, managers should use an hour for hour basis. Overtime should only be approved in exceptional circumstances. Managers 25. Managers are responsible for ensuring adherence to this direction, other relevant policy and procedures, and confirming the appropriateness of any expenditure before approving travel. In line with the travel principles of these instructions, managers at the Director or General Manager level may approve expenditure if the accommodation or out of pocket expenses cap has been exceeded and they deem it appropriate. The reasons for the approval are to be documented by the approving manager. CEO INSTRUCTION TRAVEL 4

5 Travel approval 26. SES employees may approve their own domestic travel. 27. Non-SES employees must seek approval prior to undertaking travel. Travel requests and acquittal of costs after travel must be submitted to the traveller s manager for approval. A Travel Form is available on the Intranet to streamline reconciliations for each trip, this form is not compulsory, another form of documentation or evidence acceptable to the employees manager may be used. 28. In instances where travel is unforeseen for example, an extension of travel arrangements or emergency travel initiated out of hours prior oral approval is required. Where expenses above the accommodation or out of pocket expenses caps have been incurred by a traveller, their Director or General Manager may, in line with the travel principles, approve additional expenditure. Both the traveller and the travel approver must record any verbal approvals and the traveller must follow up promptly with a record of the travel request or amendments. Comcare credit card 29. Employees that are required to travel on official Comcare business may be provided with a credit card upon application to the Finance Team. It is intended that the credit card be used for air transport, accommodation, meals, out-of-pocket expenses and any land transport expenditure. Employees should consult with the CEO Direction Corporate Credit Cards for Comcare s policy on use of the corporate credit card. Travel to rural and remote areas 30. Where an employee travels to a rural or remote area, the employee and/or manager should attempt to identify establishments which accept credit cards. Given the extensive facilities available for credit card use, it is anticipated that reconcilable cash payments will not be made frequently. Where it is known, or anticipated, that credit cards will not be accepted, the manager may then approve a reconcilable cash payment to meet travel expenses. The reconcilable cash payment will generally be equivalent to the accommodation costs and the daily expenses cap ($110 per 24 hours). The employee must fully acquit the cash payment (other than the $40.00 non-acquittable amount for lunch and incidentals) against tax invoices and receipts on completion of the trip. Any excess reconcilable cash payment must be repaid within 14 days from the date of the return home to their corporate credit card account. Non-ongoing employees and non card holders 31. Non card holders approved to travel should arrange for transport and accommodation costs to be paid by a corporate credit card holder such as an administrative officer, with a reconcilable cash payment being obtained from the same card holder to cover meals and incidentals ($110 per 24 hours). For acquittal purposes, travellers are to retain all tax invoices and receipts to confirm that the costs incurred were for official purposes and in accordance with this policy. Any excess reconcilable cash payment is to be repaid to Comcare through the card holder s account within 14 days from the date of the return home. 32. Non card holders may choose, but will not be required, to be reimbursed for their actual meals and incidental costs within the expenditure limits set out in these instructions rather than accessing a reconcilable cash payment to cover meals and incidentals. Reimbursements may then be arranged through the Finance Team with the approval of the employee s manager, the $40.00 non-acquittable amount for lunch and incidentals may be claimed as part of this reimbursement process. CEO INSTRUCTION TRAVEL 5

6 TRANSPORT Principles 33. Comcare will pay all transport costs during the course of an employee s official travel. Costs are to be assessed using the LPF approach to allow employees to achieve their business objectives whilst meeting Comcare s travel principles. Making travel arrangements 34. Travel approval and expenditure must be documented prior to the travel being undertaken, the exception to this is where paragraph 26 or 28 apply. It is recommended that the Travel Approval Form (available on the Intranet) be used to record approvals and to streamline reconciliations by gathering trip expenses together. 35. Comcare aims to conduct travel arrangements in the most cost effective way. Comcare Employees can directly book flights through any major Australian based airline for all domestic travel within Australia. Air Transport 36. Comcare employees should purchase the lowest practical fare that is, the lowest fare that suits their business requirements, taking into account schedules, ticketing conditions and connections. Bookings must be made in accordance with the Flight Booking Arrangements. 37. For domestic travel, SES employees may travel business class and non-ses employees will travel economy class. In exceptional circumstances, non-ses employees may upgrade to business class where the relevant manager considers this appropriate. 38. International travel bookings are also made directly on-line with any major Australian based airline. All international travel needs prior approval of the Chief Executive Officer. Employees who fly internationally will travel business class. Consult the Finance Circular No. 2012/05 Use of Best Fare of the Day for Official International Air Travel for further information. The lowest practical fare 39. The Lowest Practical Fare (LPF) is the lowest fare available on the day the travel is booked, on a regular scheduled service (that is, not a charter flight), which suits the practical business needs of the traveller: a. for outbound flights leaves within a 45 minute window before the latest possible departure flight b. for return flights leaves within a 45 minute window after the earliest practical return flight time. Note: The 45 minute time window relates to only scheduled flight times departure, it does not relate to airline check-in times or travel time to the airport. 40. Situations where the LPF, may not be the most appropriate fare, are limited to the following criteria: > health and safety issues for officers requiring certain facilities > ability to provide connecting or direct flights > achieving work-life balance or having carer responsibilities (i.e. flights outside of business hours) > the provision of relevant flight services, such as extra baggage costs, that can effect the total cost of travel. 41. In assessing the LPF, it is not appropriate to consider preferences for jets of full service airlines, access to airline lounges or accumulating frequent flyer benefits. 42. If an employee does not obtain the LPF, the decision and the reasons for doing so must be documented. CEO INSTRUCTION TRAVEL 6

7 Lounge membership 43. For employees who fly regularly on official business, airline lounge memberships may be approved at the discretion of their Director or General Manager. Directors and General Managers may also authorise payment for any joining and/or maintenance fees associated with lounge membership for their employees. Comcare has a Corporate Qantas club number that should be quoted to get the corporate rate. To join or renew please contact the Qantas Club on Comcare also has a corporate rate with Virgin Blue which may be accessed online at thelounge/corporate_signup/corporate_comcare%20/ Frequent flyer points 44. Comcare employees must not, under any circumstances, use any Frequent Flyer Points (FFPs) accrued through work related travel on any personal travel arrangements. Employees who have accrued points while travelling on behalf of Comcare are encouraged to redeem the points for future Comcare travel. FFPs may also be used in paying any annual lounge membership fees. Using FFPs for upgrading to a higher class of fare may not be done, excepting, in exceptional circumstances, where a non-ses employee s manager specifically approves a business class fare.it is the responsibility of employees who choose to utilise this scheme, to keep accurate account of which FFPs are work related and those that have been accrued by personal means. Motor vehicle arrangements 45. Comcare facilitates the use of motor vehicle hire for travellers as determined by business requirements. Rental costs are to be charged to the credit card. Payment of ancillary costs such as petrol and parking fees should also be by credit card wherever practicable. Employees are encouraged to use public transport where this is cost effective, taking into account travel times, service frequency and proximity of final destination. Car with driver (taxis) 46. Taxis are the normal standard for car with driver service. Private hire cars should only be used in exceptional circumstances. Comcare will meet the cost of taxis to and from places of business, in the course of official travel. Credit cards are the preferred mode of meeting taxi expenditure. 47. Comcare employees must only use taxis for official purposes, such as transport to and from the airport on the day of travel and from Comcare offices to other work related locations. Taxis may also be used to travel between commercial accommodation and work locations at a temporary station when such use represents efficient use of public money. Expenditure on taxis is not included in the indicative daily cap. 48. Employees are to meet their own costs for any personal travel, including to and from non-commercial accommodation, restaurants and places of entertainment. Self-drive vehicle 49. Rental cars may be used as a cost-effective alternative to taxis within a metropolitan area, to air transport, or when travel by air is not feasible. 50. Vehicle hire is arranged by the traveller and it is the traveller s responsibility to complete appropriate details and obtain approval. 51. Close attention is to be paid to vehicle collection and return times, so as to minimise total hire charges. CEO INSTRUCTION TRAVEL 7

8 Use of private vehicle 52. In general, private vehicles are not to be used for official travel except where alternative transport, including air, car rental, coach or train, is either not available or not operationally efficient. On those occasions when the use of a motor vehicle is deemed necessary, the use of a rental vehicle should be considered as the preferred option. Approval for employees to use their own motor vehicles will only be given if the use of the vehicle would result in greater efficiency, such as to and from an airport where secure parking is provided. The cost of parking may well be cheaper and more efficient than the equivalent taxi expenses. 53. Where private vehicle use is approved, motor vehicle allowance is payable at the rate of 75c/km. If the cost of this alternative exceeds the lowest practical available airfare, the expenditure approved will be the amount equivalent to the lowest practical available airfare, minus GST and other government taxes. 54. Where private vehicle use is approved, the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for any financial liability or loss which may arise from events such as an accident or mechanical failure. As the Commonwealth does not provide or carry insurance on private vehicles used for official purposes, the traveller s manager must be satisfied that the driver is licensed and that comprehensive insurance cover is in place before approving the use of the vehicle. Insurance details should be recorded for every use of a private vehicle for official purposes and attached to the travel approval record. 55. Employees using Commonwealth or rental vehicles are not entitled to receive motor vehicle allowance. Safe driving (OHS) 56. Drivers undertaking long trips, whether by rental vehicle or their own car, should ensure that they take rest breaks and other precautions to avoid driver fatigue. Travellers should refer to the Sign On part of the Intranet for further OHS information. ACCOMMODATION 57. Comcare will pay all the accommodation costs during the course of an employee s official travel. Accommodation costs are governed by city specific accommodation caps which are expected to provide a reasonable standard of accommodation to allow employees to achieve their business objectives whilst meeting Comcare s travel principles. Non-commercial (private) accommodation 58. If an employee chooses to stay in non-commercial/private accommodation such as a family or friends house, then Comcare will not pay for any accommodation expenses. Comcare will still pay for meal expenses which should be charged to a credit card, and the cash amount of $40.00 for lunch and incidentals is also available. 59. If an employee stays in this type of accommodation, then an amount of $60.00 per trip is allowed to buy the host(s) a present or to take them to dinner. This amount can be increased at the discretion of the approving manager. The funds must not be passed on to the host in cash. Employees must retain tax invoices and receipts for such expenditure as for any other travel related expenditure. 60. In general, employees are to meet their own costs for any personal travel (e.g. taxi fares), including to and from non-commercial accommodation, restaurants and places of entertainment. The manager has discretion to approve transport costs to and from non-commercial accommodation, where there is no additional transport cost to Comcare (over that which would be reasonable if staying in commercial accommodation). CEO INSTRUCTION TRAVEL 8

9 Commercial accommodation 61. Accommodation for official travel may be booked by employees or their branch administrative officer. Comcare must select accommodation having regard to the relevant indicative daily cap and other requirements such as proximity to business and acceptance of credit cards. The selection of accommodation must be consistent with the principle of reasonable cost which underpins Comcare travel policy. 62. If an accommodation provider does not accept credit cards, subject to manager s approval, accommodation may be paid for using a reconcilable cash payment via an ATM. Where such payments are made, expenses must be acquitted on return to work through provision of tax invoices and receipts and return of any unexpended cash. Expenditure limits for commercial accommodation 63. An annual review of the travel rates will be conducted by the Director, People and Place considering business requirements, staff feedback and the relevant taxation determination for reasonable travel allowances. The review of rates will be subject to approval by Comcare Executive before being implemented. 64. The cap on accommodation expenditure is per night and is dependant on the travel destination. There are four categories: > capital cities > high cost country centres; > tier 2 country centres; and > all other remaining country centres. 65. The Accommodation Caps are: Capital city Indicative non-ses daily caps Indicative SES daily caps Adelaide $160 $190 Brisbane $210 $240 Canberra $190 $220 Darwin $190 $264 Hobart $140 $180 Melbourne $180 $230 Perth $230 $240 Sydney $190 $230 High cost country centres Variable see table below Variable table rate or $150 whichever is greater Tier 2 country centres $130 $150 Other country centres $110 $130 CEO INSTRUCTION TRAVEL 9

10 High cost country centres accommodation expenses Country centre $ Country centre $ Alice Springs (NT) 150 Horn Island (QLD) 170 Bourke (NSW) 170 Jabiru (NT) 190 Bright (VIC) 140 Kalgoorlie (WA) 160 Broome (WA) 210 Karratha (WA) 350 Bunbury (WA) 160 Katherine (NT) 140 Burnie (TAS) 140 Kununurra (WA) 200 Cairns (QLD) 140 Mackay (QLD) 140 Carnarvon (WA) 150 Mount Isa (QLD) 160 Castlemaine (VIC) 130 Newcastle (NSW) 150 Chinchilla (QLD) 130 Newman (WA) 200 Christmas Island (WA) 150 Norfolk Island 190 Dampier (WA) 180 Port Hedland (WA) 260 Derby (WA) 180 Port Pirie (SA) 140 Echuca (VIC) 120 Thursday Island (QLD) 180 Emerald (QLD) 140 Wagga Wagga (NSW) 140 Exmouth (WA) 260 Weipa (QLD) 140 Geelong (VIC) 140 Wilpena-Pound (SA) 170 Geraldton (WA) 140 Wollongong (NSW) 140 Gladstone (QLD) 190 Whyalla (SA) 150 Gold Coast (QLD) 150 Yulara (NT) 250 Halls Creek (WA) 170 CEO INSTRUCTION TRAVEL 10

11 Tier 2 country centres Country centre Albany (WA) Ararat (VIC) Armidale (NSW) Bairnsdale (VIC) Ballarat (VIC) Bathurst (NSW) Bendigo (VIC) Bordertown (SA) Broken Hill (NSW) Bundaberg (QLD) Castlemaine (VIC) Ceduna (SA) Cocos (Keeling) Islands Coffs Harbour (NSW) Cooma (NSW) Devonport (TAS) Dalby (QLD) Dubbo (NSW) Esperance (WA) Gosford (NSW) Goulburn (NSW) Hamilton (VIC) Hervey Bay (QLD) Horsham (VIC) Innisfail (QLD) Kadina (SA) Country centre Kingaroy (QLD) Launceston (TAS) Maitland (NSW) Mildura (VIC) Mount Gambier (SA) Mudgee (NSW) Muswellbrook (NSW) Naracoorte (SA) Orange (NSW) Port Augusta (SA) Portland (VIC) Port Lincoln (SA) Port Macquarie (NSW) Queanbeyan (NSW) Renmark (SA) Rockhampton (QLD) Roma (QLD) Seymour (VIC) Swan Hill (VIC) Tamworth (NSW) Tennant Creek (NT) Toowoomba (QLD) Townsville (QLD) Tumut (NSW) Warrnambool (VIC) Wonthaggi (VIC) 66. For all other rural and regional locations not located on the previous two tables, the accommodation cap is $100 for non-ses employees and $ for SES employees. 67. Excess accommodation costs may be approved, in accordance with paragraphs 25 & 28 where there is no available accommodation within the relevant accommodation cap that meets the business need, consistent with the principles of these instructions. Such approval must be documented by the traveller and the manager. CEO INSTRUCTION TRAVEL 11

12 EXPENSES 68. Comcare will pay reasonable costs for meals and various incidentals during an employee s official travel to allow employees to achieve their business objectives whilst meeting Comcare s travel principles. Daily cap for out of pocket expenses (meals and incidentals) 69. The daily cap for meals and incidentals is $ and applies for each 24 hours away (including at least one night). This amount is for guidance as to the limit of reasonable costs in a 24 hour period. It is expected that all meal costs will be charged to the credit card (excepting lunch where the non-acquittable lunch component is accessed). 70. The cap does not apply to part days (a period of less than 24 hours not including an overnight stay) where the indicative meal amounts should be used as a guide to reasonable cost; refer to paragraphs 75 & 76 for more information. 71. Meals and incidentals costs are separate for each 24 hour period and may not be used cumulatively. The exception to this rule being for groceries during trips of two nights or more, groceries may be purchased at one time and apportioned over the period of the trip against the relevant meals and or incidentals expenditure. 72. In the circumstances where some meals are provided or where part days are included in a trip, travellers and managers must use the following indicative amounts to vary the daily cap for out of pocket expenses for a 24 hour period or for part days travel to determine reasonable meal costs: > incidentals $20.00 (included in the non-acquittable amount) > lunch $20.00 (included in the non-acquittable amount) > breakfast $25.00 > dinner $45.00 Non acquittable amount for out of pocket expenses 73. For travel requiring an overnight stay, a fixed amount of $40.00 for each night that an employee is away from home can be withdrawn from an ATM using the corporate credit card. This amount comprises the indicative amounts of $20.00 for incidentals and $20.00 for lunch. Where lunch is purchased with the corporate credit card (whatever the amount) the non acquittable amount is reduced to $20.00 for incidentals. For example: a trip that entails a 3 nights and 4 day stay may allow for a withdrawal of up to $ This type of payment is designed for circumstances where the use of a credit card may not be practical: also processing multiple minor expenses is not cost effective and is inconvenient. This type of non-acquittable payment can only be used for travel that includes an overnight stay and is not available for part day travel. Although travellers are not required to acquit this amount, the withdrawal should be included in the reconciliation as it comes within the daily cap for out of pocket expenses. For SES employees the nonacquittable amount per night is $ Employees are expected to make necessary withdrawals immediately before or during the period of travel, preferably from a Commonwealth Bank ATM in one transaction (to minimise bank fees). If an employee cannot withdraw the necessary funds during this period for reasons of ATM availability or malfunction then any withdrawal made must be made no later than seven days after the completion of the trip. Employees that have excess funds after expenses have been paid for are to bank the money into the credit card account where the money originated. Funds are not to be banked into Comcare s general account. CEO INSTRUCTION TRAVEL 12

13 Cash payment facilities 75. Cardholders may use their credit card to withdraw cash from Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) using their allocated PIN (which may be obtained from any branch of the CBA). This facility should be used for the non-acquittable expenses amount for lunch and incidentals of $40.00 (where the travel includes an overnight stay). Additional cash amounts may also be withdrawn when it is known that credit cards are not accepted in the intended travel locality. In such circumstances cash withdrawal for meals and incidentals have a cap of $110 per day of travel as per paragraph 29. Employees who withdraw cash for personal use may face misconduct action and/or criminal proceedings. A proven breach of the Code of Conduct can result in termination of employment. For further policy information regarding cash payments please read the paragraphs below. Travel not involving an overnight stay 76. Comcare will meet all reasonable costs associated with travel not involving an overnight stay. The credit card is the principal payment method for meeting such expenses. It is intended to cover items such as taxi fares, parking and meals (if appropriate, refer to the indicative meal rates in paragraph 70). In cases where employees use their own cash for payment of small expenses such as bus fares, receipts and tax invoices should be obtained wherever possible and reimbursement sought, either through petty cash or a direct credit as arranged through the Financial Services Section. 77. The cash payment of $40.00 for lunch and incidentals referred to in paragraph 72, is not available if your travel does not involve an overnight stay. Other costs arising from travel 78. If an employee incurs additional expenses as a result of undertaking work related travel, the manager may approve reimbursement of reasonable expenses. These expenses might include additional family care costs arising from the employee being absent overnight, or the costs of placing pets in boarding facilities. Reimbursement will be dependent upon the provision of tax invoices and receipts by the employee, and will be net of any applicable government assistance. Managers may also consider the use of the credit card for reasonable expenses for accommodation in those instances where an employee is required to work exceptionally late (after 10pm) in their home city. AUDIT 79. All work travel undertaken by Comcare employees, is subject to scrutiny by Internal Audit and the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) RECORDS/REPORTING 80. Travel approval must be documented. The Comcare Travel Form (available on the Intranet) is an optional form designed to assist travellers and managers in streamlining their reconciliations. Employees are to gather travel approvals, receipts and withdrawal slips together per trip and store them on their credit card file. Each trip must be reconciled according to the CEO Direction Corporate Credit Cards and final expenditure approval must be kept on the credit card file. Any other decisions relating to a trip should be included on the credit card file to provide a transparent audit trail for use in the future. For short or simple travel, approvals, along with receipts, may be all that is required by the traveller in terms of recordkeeping. CEO INSTRUCTION TRAVEL 13

14 LINKS 81. For further information refer to > CEO Direction Corporate Credit Card > Relocation guidelines under the Comcare Enterprise Agreement > Finance Circular No. 2009/10 Use of the Lowest Practical Fare for official Air Travel > Finance Circular No. 2012/05 Use of the Best Fare of the Day for Official International Official Air Travel > CEO Guideline Official Vehicles FURTHER INFORMATION 82. The Chief Operating Officer is responsible for this policy. Please direct any queries in respect of the application of travel policies to the Helpdesk-HR. Chief Executive Officer Comcare 2015 CEO INSTRUCTION TRAVEL 14