VCOM Institutional Policy and Procedure Manual

VCOM Policy and Procedure

Policy #U022

by a Division Administrator through VCOM’s travel agency. Please provide dates, cities, and the expected number of employees so that group fares/rates may be obtained. 8.8 Additional Lodging for Family Members or Guests or Extending a Trip for Personal Reasons Additional lodging for family members and guests is not reimbursable, including larger rooms, suites, and vacation home rentals. VCOM will only reimburse an employee for standard room rates. Employees who wish to extend their trip for personal travel using personal paid time off may do so with approval from their supervisor. Expenses for the additional days lodging, meals, etc. are not reimbursable and must be paid by the employee with personal funds and must not be charged to a VCOM-issued credit card. 9. MEALS WHILE TRAVELING In lieu of maintaining individual meal/incidental receipts, VCOM has adopted a per diem rate system using GSA-established rates to reimburse employees for personal meals on business travel or CME/CE days. Personal meals are those that do not include conducting official business during the meal and are not reimbursable by anything but a per diem rate. Per diem is a daily allowance provided to employees to cover the costs of meals and incidentals paid by the employee out-of-pocket during business or CME/CE travel, regardless of actual expenses incurred. GSA rates are updated annually and can be reviewed at Per Diem Rates | GSA. The employee retains any per diem amount in excess of actual expenses. The per diem rate is paid following the conclusion of travel and after appropriate travel expense documentation is submitted. The per diem must be paid directly to the employee. Employees cannot claim per diem on behalf of another individual. To qualify for the per diem meal allowance, employees must meet both of the following requirements: • Employees must be performing official VCOM travel away from the employee’s campus. • Employees must be in a travel status for eight or more consecutive hours. The following table should be utilized to determine employee per diem rate allowance: When travel is: Per Diem rate is: Less than 8 hours 0% 8 or more hours up to 23 hours 75% of the applicable per diem rate 24 or more hours, on The day of departure 75% of the applicable per diem rate Full days of travel 100% of the applicable per diem rate The last day of travel 75% of the applicable per diem rate The IRS does not allow employers to provide a per diem personal meal and incidental expense reimbursement for day travel. A VCOM Division Administrator may allow an employee reimbursement for a meal while on day travel status when the following exists: • The travel required is between 8 and 12 hours AND • The purpose and time of the meeting does not allow the employee time to be home for such meals. In this instance the meal reimbursement will be considered taxable income

VCOM Business Travel and Continuing Medical Education/Continuing Education Travel Policy

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