KENORA CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

Transcription

1 KENORA CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD 500 Business Administration Procedures AP 504: Staff Travel The Director of Education recognizes and supports the need for staff to travel outside of the community to attend conferences, seminars and meetings to conduct business on behalf of the board. This procedure is provided to give direction for approval of and payment for staff travel. 1. Staff Travel 1.1 Requests to attend conferences or other travel will be submitted to the Superintendent of Instructional Services through the employee s immediate supervisor and on Form #062 Request For Conference. See Appendix C Flow Chart for Request for Conference Forms. 1.2 All conference forms must be accompanied by relevant supporting documentation such as the conference registration package, agenda, related e mails or other such documentation. 1.3 In the event various individuals will be attending the same conference from different schools or work locations, the initiator of the conference is responsible for generating individual Request for Conference Forms by school or work location listing all attendees from that location. This allows for principal/supervisor approval specifically pertaining to their school or work location. 1.4 Business travel will require prior approval. Requests shall be submitted a minimum of two weeks in advance. Approval for all travel in North America will require approval by the Superintendent. Approval for all travel outside North America will require approval by the Director. 1.5 Normally only one person per school will be allowed to attend a conference unless specifically requested by the Ministry of Education or other agency. 1.6 Approved costs for transportation and accommodation will be covered in accordance with Appendix A Business Travel Guidelines.

2 1.7 When staff use personal vehicles, the staff member shall provide evidence of liability insurance of a minimum of $1,000, Legal References: Appendix A Business Travel Guidelines B Ministry of Education Conference Guideline and Examples C Flow Chart for Request for Conference Forms Form(s) associated with this procedure: Form #062 Request For Conference Effective Date: April, 1990 Latest Review Date: March, 2010, August 23, 2011, September 3, 2013 KENORA CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE 2

3 Appendix A: Business Travel Guidelines 1. Overall Complete forms within 7 days of the meeting. Sign and date your claim at bottom. Write the purpose of the trip in the appropriate section. Expenses are paid initially by the employee and then submitted for reimbursement. All reservations for accommodations, airline, and conference registration will be made by the Accounts Receivable Clerk and will be confirmed with the employee. Submit all meal, accommodation and travel receipts with claim. 2. Ministry Sponsored Conferences Complete the Ministry prescribed expense form and return it with the Request for Funds form. (See Appendix B). 3. Mileage and Travel by Car The decision to use a Board vehicle, a rental vehicle, or a personal vehicle will be made by the Board and be based on effective use of resources. Board mileage rate is the maximum allowable CCRA rate (currently 52 cents per km). On group trips, staff will travel 4 to a car. If an employee chooses not to travel with the group, no mileage will be paid. If an employee chooses to take their own vehicle when it is not deemed the most economical, they will be reimbursed at half the mileage. Employees departure and arrival times will be scheduled so that they are not required to leave earlier then 1 hour prior to sun rise and so that they can reasonably arrive no later then 1 hour after sunset (sunrise and sunset as per the Weather Network). Standard hours of travel are indicated below. Employees may be expected to travel part of the distance when it is not reasonable to expect them to conclude their travel the day the conference ends. (for example, if a conference ends at 4:00 pm Eastern from Thunder Bay and sunset is 6:30 pm central, employees may be required to travel to Dryden and conclude their travel to Kenora the next morning) Special Rules will apply from November 1 st to April 1 st due to inclement weather as follows: o Standard Travel time will be extended to recognize the increased time needed to travel on winter roads KENORA CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE 3

4 o Travel to Thunder Bay will be by flight unless there is a documented special or business reason to use a vehicle. Common Reimbursements (Round Trip from Kenora) Mileage Standard Travel Time Winter Travel Time Red Lake 540 km $ Hours 4.0 hours Winnipeg 483 km $ hours 3.0 hours Thunder Bay 1,046 km $ hours 6.5 hours Fort Frances 451 km $ hours 3.5 hours Dryden 290 km $ hours 2.25 Hours Common Reimbursements (Round Trip from Red Lake) Mileage Standard Travel Time Winter Travel Time Kenora 540 km $ Hours 4.0 hours Winnipeg 1,023 km $ hours 7.0 hours Thunder Bay 1,150 km $ hours 7.25 hours Fort Frances 898 km $ hours 6.25 hours Dryden 456 km $ hours 3.5 Hours 4. Receipts Required. Receipts are required for all charges. 5. Airline Travel Airline travel is booked centrally based on the requirements of the Professional Development event, not on individual personal schedules. In all cases, the lowest cost alternative is used, while trying to minimize time away from the classroom or office. From November 1 st to April 1 st, travel to Thunder Bay will be by flight unless there is a documented special or business reason to use a vehicle. Due to unsafe weather conditions these timelines may be extended to October 15 th and April 15 th at the discretion and with the approval of the Director of Education. The Board will not normally pay excess luggage fees. If there is a business reason for such fees they must be approved in advance. In the case of a Charter, efforts will be made to share costs with the co terminus board. KENORA CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE 4

5 6. Accommodation 7. Meals Employees must retain the original hotel/motel receipt to support their expense claim. Claim only allowable items from the hotel bill. (Do not claim bar bills, movies or other personal expenses). If employees make personal arrangements for private accommodation they may claim $30.00 per night. Meals will be reimbursed based on the actual receipted costs up to a maximum of: Meal Maximum Expense Entitlement ( 7 to 7 rule ) Breakfast $20.00 Departure before 7:00AM Lunch $20.00 Leave < 12:00PM/Return > 1:00PM Dinner $40.00 Arrival home after 7:00PM Do not claim expenses for meals provided as part of your hotel accommodation, conference or meeting. An original itemized receipt is required. Only claim the cost of the meal, tax and a reasonable gratuity. Alcohol will not be reimbursed. Meal Expense maximums may not be combined. Meals purchased at a grocery store may be reimbursed if the items purchased are reasonable for personal consumption for the meal replacing a restaurant meal. 8. Tips and Gratuities Only the following tips and gratuities will be reimbursed On Restaurant meals: 10% to 15% On Taxi s : 10% 9. Alcohol Alcohol will not be reimbursed for business travel Alcohol purchased for special events must purchased by the Director or the Chair. 10. Approval Appropriate approval of expenses is to be obtained from an employee s supervisor: In the case of school employees, the Principal or his/her designate All other employees, the Superintendent of Instructional Services KENORA CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE 5

6 In the case of Trustees, the Chair of the Board or a designated senior official of the Board, as per Board policy. In the case of the Chair of the board, a designated senior official of the Board, as per board policy. In the case of the Director of Education, the Chair of the Board should approve all expenses, as per Board policy. 11. Personal Arrangements If an employee wishes to make personal arrangements, they may do so on their own time and at their own expense with prior approval. The employee may be reimbursed for flight costs at the lower of the actual cost and what the board would have paid if the employee had followed the regular booking procedure. The board will not pay additional mileage, meal allowances, accommodation or any other costs related to personal arrangements. 12. Special Circumstances In special circumstances, employees may make a request in writing to the Director of Education using the attached Request for Conference Form. The employee shall outline the reason why a special circumstance should be considered, a total cost impact and means to be taken by the employee to mitigate the cost to the board. If the special circumstance is approved, it is without prejudice or precedent. Inclement Weather: Staff are expected to use their judgment in situations of inclement weather in discussion with their direct supervisor. If inclement weather occurs or becomes obvious during regular business hours they may contact the Catholic Education Center for assistance with travel arrangements. After hours, they may make their own travel arrangements. In all cases, employees should make their best effort to find a safe and effect means to return to their regular place of work using cost effective, standard modes of transportation. 13. Federation Professional Development If a conference or meeting is organized by a federation (i.e. OECTA, CPCO, OTF) complete a Leave Form not a Request for Conference Form, mark federation leave and forward it to your Principal or Supervisor. This in keeping with the Procedure for Leaves Travel and other arrangements are to be made directly with the federation involved. KENORA CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE 6

7 14. Other Information Only original signatures can be accepted the claimant must sign and date the form. Receipts must be originals if the original is not available, an explanation must be given, which should be initialed by the person approving the claim. Number receipts put a receipt number next to the corresponding entry on the claim form and staple the receipts to the claim form. When claiming mileage the starting and finishing points and times must be shown. Travel is calculated by the shortest route in kilometers. ** Note: All claim forms for travel expenses must be completed and sent to the Accounts receivable Clerk at the Catholic Education Centre within one week of returning from a conference. KENORA CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE 7

8 Appendix B: Ministry of Education Conference Guideline & Examples Please find attached an example of a board employee attending a conference in Toronto that is Ministry of Education recoverable. 1. Statement of Traveling/General Expenses for NON OPS Employees Attach original itemized receipts for all expenses such as meals, flights, airport parking, and accommodations. 2. Kenora Catholic District School Board Requisition for Funds Where original itemized receipts are attached to the Ministry form, attach copies of original itemized receipts for all expenses to the Request for Funds. Expenses must be returned to the Accounts Receivable Clerk at the Catholic Education Center within 7 days of the conference. If you have any questions about claiming expenses associated with a Ministry of Education conference please contact the Accounts Receivable Clerk. KENORA CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE 8

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11 Appendix C: Flow Chart for Request for Conference Forms The steps below must be followed for all Request for Conference Forms. A Request for Conference Form is required to be ed to each recipient in the process. Please follow the process carefully and completely. Step #1 INITIATOR OF CONFERENCE REQUEST FORM The initiator is responsible for completing the Conference Request Form(s). Key Actions: Provide the appropriate budget code, sign form(s) electronically to indicate approval for use of funds associated with the budget code and ensure all relevant documentation related to the conference is attached to the form. It is important that this process is initiated a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the date of the conference. The Initiator then sends the form to the appropriate Principal/Supervisor for approval. A Copy is also provided to the school secretary. Note: The Initiator could be a Coordinator, Superintendent, Teacher or Support Staff Step #2 Step #3 Step #4 APPROVAL/DENIAL OF CONFERENCE REQUEST FORM BY PRINCIPAL / SUPERVISOR The Principal/Supervisor is responsible for reviewing the Conference Request Form to ensure the request is appropriate, and most importantly that the school/work location is able to accommodate the employee/employees leave from regular work duties. The Principal/Supervisor would then either approve or deny the request. If the request is unapproved the Principal/Supervisor would complete the form identifying reasons and send form back to the initiator. If approved the Principal/Supervisor would then initiate discussions with the conference attendee(s), approve the form and send it to the initiator. COMMUNICATION WITH CONFERENCE ATTENDEES At this stage of the process all conference attendees are appraised of the upcoming conference (if they are not the initiator) and provided with a copy of the Conference Request Form and all relevant documentation pertaining to the conference. OVERALL SYSTEM APPROVAL BY THE SUPERINTENDENT OF INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES The Initiator would then provide the Superintendent of Instructional Services the Conference Request Form for overall system approval. A copy is also required to be provided to the Executive Secretary at this stage of the process. The Superintendent of Instructional Services is responsible for ensuring the Conference Request is appropriate from an overall system perspective, within the guidelines of the Staff Travel Procedure and within the 2 week minimum requirement (wherever possible). If the Superintendent of Instructional Services approves the request it then goes to the Booking Clerk to ensure supply coverage is scheduled. If the Assistant to the Director does not approve the request it goes back to the Initiator with a copy to the Principal/Supervisor and the conference attendee(s). Step #5 SUPPLY SCHEDULING BY THE BOOKING CLERK Once the Conference Request Form is approved by the Assistant to the Director it is then provided to the Booking Clerk. The Booking Clerk is responsible for scheduling appropriate coverage for the conference attendees. The Booking Clerk then provides the Accounts Receivable Clerk with Conference Form. Step #6 BOOKING OF TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS BY THE ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE CLERK The Accounts Receivable Clerk is responsible for making all necessary travel arrangements for the conference attendees within the scope of the Staff Travel procedure. The Accounts Receivable Clerk is responsible for e mailing all conference attendees with a travel package a minimum of 2 days prior to the date of the conference. The travel package outlines the arrangements that have been made and will contain all relevant confirmation numbers. If a conference attendee does not receive their travel package within 2 days of an upcoming conference they are encouraged to contact the Accounts Receivable Clerk. Step #7 TRAVEL PACKAGE FOR CONFERENCE ATTENDEES/RECONCILIATION DETAILS At this stage of the process, conference attendees will receive their travel package through e mail from the Acoounts Receivable Clerk. Conference attendees are required to adhere to the Straff Travel Procedure at all times while on board travel and are reminded that they are representatives of the Kenora Catholic District School Board while on staff travel. Conference attendees are responsible for completing/submitting all necessary forms within 7 days of returning from the conference to the Accounts Receivable Clerk for reconciliation purposes.