Policy: Category: Travel, Transportation & Mileage Expense Guidelines Operations Pages: 5 Date effective: Oct. 7, 2010 To be revised: Oct. 7, 2013 Revised: Authorized by: Joan Arruda, CEO POLICY This policy provides guidance to employees and ensures consistency and equitable treatment with regard to travel and transportation while on agency business. As part of this, it also sets out the guidelines for claiming mileage for the use of a personal vehicle while conducting agency business. Travel and transportation expenses should be via the lowest cost alternative, consistent with good business practices and practicality. Travel expenses incurred on agency trips should be consistent with normal living standards, being neither excessively conservative nor excessively luxurious. Those who are in any doubt as to the appropriateness of a specific travel or transportation expense should consult with their manager for guidance prior to incurring the expense and filing a claim. The agency will reimburse travel and transportation expenses provided that they are pre-authorized and in accordance with policy. Purpose The purpose of this Policy and Procedure is to provide guidance to management and employees who travel on agency business. Scope This policy applies to all employees traveling on agency business. Procedures All employees traveling on agency business are responsible for: conducting themselves as a representative of the agency at all times following agency procedures and guidelines for expenses retaining all receipts Managers and Supervisors are responsible for: reviewing and approving all travel and transportation expenses submitted by the employee providing guidance to employees regarding appropriate types and levels of expenses Family Day Care Services Page 1 of 5
Transportation Expenses Mileage Expense - Use of Personal Vehicle An employee has the option of using his/her personal vehicle for business travel and transportation as long as the following conditions are met: valid insurance (minimum coverage of $1,000,000 of public liability and property damage insurance) proof of a valid driver s license documentation that they have informed their insurance agent in writing of the nature and extent of their driving and have paid the additional insurance premiums if so levied. This documentation will be tracked through the attestation form that employees are required to sign annually. When considering using a personal vehicle for business travel, the cost of the trip should not exceed the costs of using other practical forms of transportation. It is the responsibility of the agency to consider the cost and efficiency of alternative modes of travel before granting approval to an employee to use his/her vehicle to conduct agency business. Mileage Rate: An employee will be eligible to be reimbursed at the per-kilometre rates paid by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) as well as for necessary parking expenses, provided the employee meets the eligibility conditions listed above. The most current rates (2010) are $0.52 per kilometre for the first 5,000 kilometres and $0.46 per kilometre thereafter. Eligible Mileage: Mileage claims are calculated from the employee's scheduled place of employment/business. Mileage reimbursement is meant to cover only those miles incurred above and beyond the employee s normal daily commute to his/ her scheduled place of business. The agency will not reimburse an employee for distance traveled between the employee s home and scheduled place of employment/business except as noted in point (b) below. If the employee is called to come to work on a non-scheduled work day, the trip mileage will be calculated from his/her home. This should be confirmed in advance with the Supervisor/Manager. While not mandatory, the agency requests that employees share rides when practical to minimize costs and the production of greenhouse gas emissions. Other Transportation Expenses Public transportation - If public transportation is used by an employee for agency business, the employee will be reimbursed. Parking costs When necessary, parking costs incurred while on agency business are reimbursable to the employee. Employees are asked to use their discretion and seek out the most reasonable parking rates possible in the area that they are traveling in. 407 ETR (and other toll routes) Members of the management team are eligible to use the 407ETR and other toll routes and will be reimbursed for the associated expense, when traveling on agency business. Other employees may Family Day Care Services Page 2 of 5
also be eligible to have toll fees reimbursed (based on time savings and practicality of the route but should seek approval from their Supervisor/Manager in advance. All staff are encouraged to use their best judgment with regard to toll routes and be mindful of weighing the time and cost benefits of using toll routes. Those approved to use the 407 ETR will be reimbursed any distance toll fee charges they incur while on agency business. Costs associated with using toll routes without a transponder (i.e. video toll charges, trip toll charges, monthly account fees), transponder lease charges and other administrative fees associated with maintaining a toll route account are not reimbursable expenses. A photocopy of the staff member s 407 ETR bill with the associated charges highlighted must be submitted with a mileage expense claim form. Travel Expenses In general, the agency recognizes the following as normal travel expenses: Economy class air fares/train or bus tickets to the city of destination or if the estimated costs are expected to be less, a rental vehicle for travel to the city of destination. If the employee prefers and the estimated costs are expected to be less than other forms of transportation, an employee may use their personal vehicle providing all conditions are met as outlined under Mileage Expense - Use of Personal Vehicle below. Travel insurance (coverage is mandatory) Airport fees Lodging in the city of destination - Employees are encouraged to share accommodation if possible. Chosen lodging should not be excessively conservative nor excessively luxurious from a cost perspective and employee personal safety and comfort should be considered. Personal meals and associated tips - Actual, reasonable, and necessary costs for meals will be reimbursed up to a daily allowance of $51.00 including tax and tips (or up to a per meal allowance of $12 breakfast/$15 lunch/$24 dinner including tax and tips). The employee should be guided by what he/ she eats at home. Reimbursement may include a gratuity of up to fifteen (15%) percent of the bill, before sales tax. Receipts are required for all meal reimbursements. These rates are in keeping with those deemed reasonable by the Canada Revenue Agency. Telephone calls home of a reasonable duration, telephone calls to the office and telephone calls with clients or business contacts. Employees are expected to use the most reasonable method of placing calls (i.e. when possible, avoid additional surcharges such as those levied by hotels by using a cell phone if one is available.) Taxi fares to and from destinations within a city and associated tips or, if the estimated costs are expected to be less, a rental vehicle in the destination city. Parking and gasoline charges in the case where a rental vehicle has been deemed appropriate. For use of personal vehicle for business travel, see Mileage Expense - Use of Personal Vehicle below under allowable transportation costs. Family Day Care Services Page 3 of 5
Minor miscellaneous expenses which would not otherwise be incurred by the employee such as tips in a hotel or public transportation costs. In general, the agency does not reimburse employees for: entertainment in the city of destination - From time to time employees may be required to participate in entertainment activities such as meals, social events and the like for community relations purposes (i.e. a retirement function for key person at a partner agency.) The agency will reimburse the employee for these expenses as long as appropriate approvals are granted prior to the function. alcoholic purchases upgrades to higher classes of service for air or train travel fines for traffic or parking violations personal items of any nature including clothing or toiletries additional expenses related to traveling with a spouse or other guest fees for excess baggage or baggage handling movies/videos Frequent Flier points Employees may participate to personal advantage in frequent flier programs so long as all decisions regarding carriers are made first with due regard to the best available flight prices and times. Price Advantages for staying over into a Weekend Many airlines offer deep discounts for travellers willing to return on a Saturday or Sunday. Where this discount benefits the agency, the employee has the option of taking advantage of it. In these cases, normal meal and lodging expenses will be considered reimbursable. Claiming Travel/Transportation Expenses: Travel and transportation expenses should be presented for reimbursement no later than five (5) working days after the last date worked in the month in which they were incurred and must be approved by the employee s Supervisor/Manager before reimbursement takes place. The agency expects all receipts to be retained and submitted with an Expense Report and subsequently with the agency credit card invoice if applicable. All receipts should indicate the nature of the expense, the date, the location and the client on whose business it was incurred. HST should be identified for all expenses on which it was incurred. Only receipts which have been approved by the employee s Supervisor/ Manager will be reimbursed. Family Day Care Services Page 4 of 5
Expenses for which a receipt has been lost or misplaced will be reimbursed only at the discretion of the employee s Supervisor/Manager. Substantiating mileage reimbursement: (i) Employees must document: the date of travel, the beginning location address, the ending location address, the purpose of the trip and the total kilometers traveled (less kilometers normally traveled back and forth from home.) (ii) The employee must complete and submit for approval a monthly transportation expense sheet indicating dates and locations and mileage driven on business. (iii) Parking receipts and proof of 407 ETR toll fees must also be attached to the transportation expense report. Family Day Care Services Page 5 of 5