Travel and Expense Policy

Transcription

1 Travel and Expense Policy Effective 10/1/14 Updated 10/6/14 SilkRoad Travel and Expense Reporting Policy - Updated Page 1 of 11

2 Table of Contents OVERVIEW... 3 Reporting System... 3 Receipts... 3 Business Travel and Entertainment... 3 Travel Provider... 4 Air Travel... 4 Rental Car... 5 Mileage and Use of Personal Automobile... 5 Hotel Accommodations... 6 Meals... 6 Telephone & Internet Expenses while traveling... 6 Business/Client Entertainment... 7 A few important items to note:... 8 Other Business Travel Expenses... 8 HOME OFFICE BUSINESS EXPENSES... 9 Office Furniture Computer Equipment and Software... 9 Home Internet and Telephone... 9 Office Supplies... 9 OTHER ASSOCIATE RELATED EXPENSES NON-REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES APPROVALS AND REVIEW SilkRoad Travel and Expense Reporting Policy - Updated Page 2 of 11

3 OVERVIEW SilkRoad s Travel and Expense Reporting Policy provides guidelines and parameters for incurring and reimbursing travel and other business expenses. Its purpose is to ensure associates are able to successfully conduct business while using company funds in a prudent manner and while meeting all IRS compliance regulations. This policy applies to all SilkRoad associates who incur business expenses while employed. While no policy can anticipate every situation that may arise, SilkRoad has the full authority to interpret, apply, and modify the policy parameters. Should any discrepancies arise from this policy; the CFO will determine the appropriate solution. SilkRoad expects you to exercise sound business judgment in incurring expenses for which you expect reimbursement from the company. Please do your best to spend company money sensibly and seek ways to minimize travel and other business expenses whenever possible. Likewise, managers are expected to administer and interpret this policy in a consistent and impartial manner. SilkRoad does not issue company credit cards. All associates who must travel for business, or purchase small incidentals, are responsible for the upfront cost of the expense and reimbursement under this policy. Approved expense reports are paid with normal payroll cycles according to the communicated due date schedule sent by Finance. Please contact Finance or Human Resources if you have questions or feedback regarding this policy. Reporting System Compliance with our reporting and documentation requirements is necessary to obtain reimbursement. SilkRoad uses Concur to report all travel and other business expenses. All completed expense reports must be approved by your manager and submitted within 60 days of incurring the expense. To access Concur, login to the travel services portal at Your login is firstname.lastname@silkroad.com and you will create a password. Receipts All expenses over $20 require a detailed receipt unless the expense is billable to a customer, then all expenses, regardless of the amount, require a receipt as most customers require receipts in order to reimburse SilkRoad. Business Travel and Entertainment All business travel must be pre-approved by your manager and all travel must be booked through Concur using SilkRoad s travel provider to allow the company to take advantage of negotiated rates and maximize corporate discounts. SilkRoad Travel and Expense Reporting Policy - Updated Page 3 of 11

4 Travel Provider SilkRoad uses Concur travel services for business travel. Travel must be booked directly online through Concur or by contacting our Corporate Travel Coordinator at X4331 or There is a service fee associated with using SilkRoad s travel provider and this small fee is reimbursable under this policy. Air Travel A few important considerations prior to making air travel arrangements: Make your travel arrangements as far in advance as possible to take advantage of the most economical rate and investigating different itineraries prior to booking your flight. Discounts are now generally available only when tickets are purchased at least 7 to 21 days in advance. Consider traveling at during non-peak business hours. It is often possible to dramatically reduce airfares this way and this should be considered if feasible. As a general rule, if a less expensive ticket is available within a 4 hour window for departure, please select the least expensive flight. All tickets must be made as non-refundable. You may submit for reimbursement as soon as the airfare is ticketed and paid. You don t have to wait until the trip! You are responsible to cancel the trip, should it become necessary, prior to the travel date to avoid penalties. If the trip is cancelled you must use the system credit on a future business trip within one year. At any time you are refunded for canceled airfare, you are expected to deduct the amount refunded from your next expense report. Use good business judgment when changing flights as these changes incur change fees of $150 or more and should be utilized with discretion. Domestic and international air travel must be booked in coach class. If coach class is not available, you must book a different flight. International flights with a single flight segment greater than 10 hours can be booked in business class; however the business class fare must be booked through our Corporate Travel Coordinator at X4331 or (i.e. Two flight segments of 7 hours with a delay/layover and then additional 3 hours to final destination would not qualify for business class travel; a direct flight to Asia greater than 10 hours does). Baggage Expenses SilkRoad will reimburse for one checked bag, if necessary, however, you will pay for any charges that exceed weight limits. SilkRoad will reimburse for business materials that you re specifically authorized to carry. SilkRoad Travel and Expense Reporting Policy - Updated Page 4 of 11

5 Getting to the airport The length of the trip should dictate how you arrive and/or park at the airport. The least expensive option must be considered regardless of length of trip. Rental Car Use of a rental car is permitted when it is justified by business reasons. You should consider other options such as taxis and shuttles only when they are less expensive than the use of a rental car. Find the best possible rates using Concur. The authorized car size is an intermediate-size vehicle. When two or more associates are traveling together they are expected to share a rental car. Please make note of this on your expense report. SilkRoad provides car insurance for rentals when traveling on company business. Please decline all offered rental insurance. Please don t purchase the prepaid tank of gas. You will not be reimbursed for any gas purchased through the car rental agency. If you retain a rental car over a weekend it will be considered a personal, nonreimbursable expense, unless: o You are traveling on a weekend to another location on company business; or, o You are staying the weekend in lieu of returning home, because business requires you to be in a location on Friday and Monday. Mileage and Use of Personal Automobile The use of your personal automobile for business travel is appropriate and expected in some situations. Before you do so, please understand the expectations. SilkRoad requires you to carry, at your expense, public liability and property damage insurance at the minimum required by law. Personal car travel should be reserved for short term travel, particularly to remote areas where air travel is more timely and costly, and not cross-country road tours. Please note that SilkRoad will only reimburse mileage for longer trips up to the cost of a commercial airfare for the same trip. Mileage is reimbursed in accordance with the IRS published rate. The mileage rate covers all automobile use expenses including gasoline. Base mileage is a commuting expense and is not reimbursable under IRS regulations. Base mileage is the round-trip number of miles between your home and your principal place of SilkRoad employment. Additionally, if you are a home office based associate and live less than 50 miles from a SilkRoad Travel and Expense Reporting Policy - Updated Page 5 of 11

6 SilkRoad office location, we will not reimburse for occasional business trips into the office or for local conferences and events. Hotel Accommodations Hotel accommodations must be booked through Concur and our travel partner. SilkRoad has negotiated rates at specific hotels by each office location. Other hotel stays should be consistent with local market costs for mid-range (average) accommodation costs. Examples of mid-range hotels are: Marriott Courtyard, Hilton Garden Inn, and Fairfield Inns. Excessive hotel rates are subject to non-reimbursement. There may be some exceptions such as conference attendance or lack of availability with manager approval. You may make a late arrival guarantee when making reservations. If you must cancel your plans, advise the hotel to avoid no-show billing. If you fail to cancel in advance, you will be responsible for all cancellation fees. Helpful hint - When reporting hotel charges, itemize them to show meals, telephone charges, room service, etc., separately under these categories. Meals SilkRoad has set reimbursement standards for meals while traveling. Meals will be reimbursed up to a maximum amount of $60.00 per person, per day. This includes taxes, service charges, alcohol and tips. If the meal is billable to a customer, then no alcohol should be purchased and expensed. A detailed receipt, not the credit card receipt, is needed for reimbursement. If one is not presented to you at checkout, please ask for it as most restaurants can provide this for you. Associates traveling together should request separate receipts whenever feasible. The most senior person in attendance should always pay for the meal when a single check is used. Telephone & Internet Expenses while traveling Cell phone minutes are less expensive to use than hotel telephone service and you are encouraged to use your cell phone when possible. Most hotels provide free internet access. It is important that you connect your wireless devices to the free internet service to avoid unnecessary data or roaming charges. When free internet is not provided, use your best judgment before signing up for the internet service. SilkRoad Travel and Expense Reporting Policy - Updated Page 6 of 11

7 If you have telephone or internet charges shown on your hotel bill, itemize them separately from the hotel charges when reporting them on the Expense Report. Phone or internet charges that are deemed unreasonable or excessive will not be reimbursed. At least 7 days prior to international travel, create a JIRA IT project request outlining your travel plans so that IT can take the necessary steps to minimize cell phone charges incurred during your trip. Unless you travel internationally on a regular basis you will need to enter a ticket for each international trip. International plans are added on a temporary basis for most associates. Excessive charges incurred on international trips that are a result of non-compliance with this policy are subject to non-reimbursement. Business/Client Entertainment Entertainment Should Be a Lot of Work IRS regulations require that entertainment expenses (including business lunches, dinners, etc.) serve definite business purposes with a reasonable expectation of deriving increased business benefits, and not merely for the purpose of goodwill. Associate Entertainment Entertainment (lunch, dinner, etc.) of your fellow associates is not generally reimbursable except when a client or outside business contact is in attendance. Team meetings/lunches should be incurred in accordance with your department s budget. Entertainment must be associated with the active conduct of business and must be incurred during, before, or after a substantial business discussion. Use good business judgment when determining the number of SilkRoad associates that attend entertainment of client activities. The number of SilkRoad associates should never be more than the number of clients, with the exception of a single client and two SilkRoad associates. Please use common sense and do not engage in excessive entertainment. Excessive expenses will not be reimbursed. Entertainment expenses must be itemized on the Expense Report to be reimbursed. To ensure compliance with IRS regulations on lunches, dinners, and other entertainment expenses, the following information must be shown on the Expense Report: 1. Cost 2. Date 3. Place (name and location) and nature of entertainment 4. Business purpose and nature of business-benefit derived or expected to be derived. 5. Name, company name, and title of people present or other designation sufficient to establish business relationship to the company. SilkRoad Travel and Expense Reporting Policy - Updated Page 7 of 11

8 A few important items to note: When planning any entertainment remember to: Scrutinize your own actions, recognizing that client entertainment must have a specific objective. Assess the situation, making sure long-term profits or productivity gained from incurring entertainment expenses makes these expenses worthwhile. Obtain prior management approval for any entertainment other than meals, such as baseball games, golf, theater tickets, etc. to ensure that they are within the department s allocated budget. Make sure your actions, your choice of outings, and the type of entertainment you choose are not offensive to anyone in your group. All entertainment activities must comply with SilkRoad s code of conduct and other policies. SilkRoad does not approve or permit any entertainment that is of an adult nature. Other Business Travel Expenses Combined Business and Personal Travel we will pay for the cost of the business segment, and you pay the difference between that and the total. If the total is cheaper than the business segment, there are no additional charges. Spouse on Trip if you choose to take your spouse or significant other on an approved business trip you pay for the additional expense. We will only reimburse expenses to the extent that it would have cost for you alone. Expenses in Foreign Currency all business expenses incurred in a foreign currency must be converted to U.S. dollars before processing and reimbursement. Foreign currency expense should be converted to U.S. dollars on Expense Reports at the going exchange rate at the time the expense was incurred. The exchange rate used should be reported on the Expense Report. Amendments to an Expense Report citing foreign currency expense will be allowed if actual billings for business expense are covered at a rate different than originally cited on an Expense Report. Tips are reimbursable for expenses such as meals, taxi, etc., the gratuity should be limited to the accepted norm (generally 18%) and included in the amount reported. It is acceptable to show as tips gratuities to redcaps, skycaps, hotel porters, and bellhops (generally $1.00 per bag). Ground transportation (taxi s, shuttles, buses, and public transportation) is reimbursable and do not require a receipt if under $20. Tolls incurred for business travel are reimbursable and do not require a receipt if under $20. SilkRoad Travel and Expense Reporting Policy - Updated Page 8 of 11

9 Parking while on a business trip is reimbursable, but keep in mind, parking for commuting into an office is not considered a business expense and is not reimbursable. Parking expense under $20 does not require a receipt. You Speed, You Pay we won t reimburse for expenses resulting from traffic law violations, including parking tickets. Non-Reimbursable Expenses -the following items are not reimbursable under our policy, so pay close attention! o Travel expenses booked through any means other than Concur.com and the related Travel Coordinator. o Upgrades to first class, club class, or business class. HOME OFFICE BUSINESS EXPENSES This section pertains to active full-time (4-5 days per week) home office based associates. Parttime or casual home office work does not qualify for the reimbursements outlined below. Associates on an approved leave of absence for more than three months may no longer claim home office business expenses until they return to full-time active duty. Computer Equipment and Software SilkRoad provides the following for home-office based associate business use: A computer with standard software for your role A monitor, keyboard and mouse. Additional hardware for your role may be approved by your manager. All computer equipment and software must be purchased by SilkRoad s IT department. Items purchased directly by associates are not reimbursable. Associates are expected to ensure any company provided equipment is properly cared for and secured. Home Internet and Telephone SilkRoad provides a stipend of up to $50 per month to eligible home-based employees to supplement the business usage cost of a home phone line and internet service. Eligible associates must submit their internet/phone bill each month in order to receive the stipend. It is often best to bundle these services with your Internet provider to obtain the most cost effective solution. Office Supplies Home office based associates are responsible for purchasing office supplies and submitting an expense report for reimbursement. Generally, the following expenses are reimbursable if they are primarily for business use: Printer paper and ink cartridges Postage Notebooks and pens SilkRoad Travel and Expense Reporting Policy - Updated Page 9 of 11

10 Office Furniture SilkRoad will not provide home office based associates with any office furniture, including a desk, chair and lamp. As a condition of employment from a home office, associates must have a suitable workspace to properly and safely conduct business. Travel to a SilkRoad Office Location If you are a home office based associate and live 50+ miles from a SilkRoad office location, commuting expenses are reimbursable according the terms outlined for business travel. If you live less than 50 miles from a SilkRoad office location, we will not reimburse for occasional business trips into the office or for local conferences and events. Meals and other expenses related to occasional business trips into the office are not reimbursable. OTHER ASSOCIATE RELATED EXPENSES Professional Membership Dues reasonable business related membership dues are reimbursable up to $250 annually with management pre-approval (e.g., SHRM, AICPA, APA). Anything over $250 must have CFO pre-approval. Office Supplies all purchases of office supplies for office based associates should be coordinated with the office administrator at your work location. Purchases of Equipment and Software all purchases of hardware, software and computer equipment and peripherals must be requested by your manager through an IT JIRA ticket. Items purchased directly by associates are not reimbursable. Team Meetings/Meal Expenses - meals arranged for company meetings/business discussions may be reimbursed to the extent allowed by your department s budget, with manager approval. The most senior person in attendance must pay for the expense and submit for reimbursement. Mobile Phones Depending upon your role, SilkRoad may provide a mobile phone primarily for business use. In order to maximize minutes and data plans, SilkRoad requires all company mobile phones to be provided through our corporate carrier. If desired, SilkRoad can port your mobile number to a company plan and phone. You will receive this number back at the end of your tenure with the company if you desire. Any exceptions must be approved by the CFO. A base model phone is provided at no charge. Associates can upgrade to a different phone at their own expense. Phone may only be upgraded when eligible for plan upgrades, typically after two years. Associates are expected to ensure a company provided mobile phone is properly cared for and secured. SilkRoad Travel and Expense Reporting Policy - Updated Page 10 of 11

11 NON-REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES Although not an all-inclusive list, the following expenses are considered personal and are not reimbursable under this policy: Air phones Baby-sitting Clothing Credit card fees In-room movies Laundry/dry cleaning (for trips of 7 days or less) Mini bar purchases Personal entertainment Cellular data plans for Tablets (i.e. ipad, Surface Pro, Android) Airline clubs Car Washes Country Club/Health Club Dues Haircuts In-flight movies Luggage and briefcases No-show charges on limo and hotel Traffic fines Hardware, software & peripheral purchases outside of IT APPROVALS AND REVIEW All business expenses incurred must be approved by your manager and are subject to approval by the Finance Department. If you have any questions concerning reimbursement of specific expenses, you should discuss such issues with your manager prior to incurring the expense. Expenses incurred that are not covered by the policy will be not be reimbursed. SilkRoad has full authority and discretion to determine whether any requested expenses will be reimbursed. This policy supersedes any previous Travel and Expense Reporting Policy. As always, SilkRoad reserves the right to modify this policy as business needs require. SilkRoad Travel and Expense Reporting Policy - Updated Page 11 of 11