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Scope

This procedure forms part of ������ý’s Financial Management Policy (the “Policy”) and should be followed and applied in relation to arranging, approving, and claiming expenses with respect to business and/or educational travel. This procedure applies to BCGEU and Fair Comparison employees. Terms not otherwise defined in this procedure are as defined in the Policy. 

Definitions

Authorizing Manager – An Employee to whom an Employee (requesting to travel) reports and/or who is empowered to approve or reject requests related to ������ý business and/or educational travel.

BCGEU Employee – A person who is employed by the Institute and who is part of the BCGEU collective bargaining unit.

Collective Agreement – The current collective agreement between the Institute and the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union, the organization representing the bargaining unit comprised of BCGEU Employees.

CSA – A corporate supply arrangement whereby the Procurement Services Branch of the government of British Columbia has entered into an agreement with one or more authorized suppliers to supply goods and/or services at set prices.

Employee – A person who is employed by the Institute, which, for the purposes of this procedure, includes:

• BCGEU Employees; and
• Fair Comparison Employees.

Fair Comparison Employee – A person who is employed by the Institute in a role to which the Fair Comparison Handbook applies.

Fair Comparison Handbook – A handbook containing terms and conditions of employment applicable to Fair Comparison Employees, which may be amended from time to time.

Financial Services – ������ý’s Financial Services Department.

Travel Status – Absence of the Fair Comparison Employees from their assigned ������ý campus location and requiring travel of 100 kilometers or more one way and/or other reasonable conditions that needs to be met based on Authorized Manager’s discretion. BCGEU Employees should follow the Travel Status definition provided in the Collective Agreement. Travel status does not apply to Employees temporarily assigned to a position outside of their ������ý campus or geographical location or to field status employees.

Roles and Responsibilities

Authorizing Managers are responsible for ensuring that travel is required for ������ý business and/or educational purposes, and expense requests for reimbursement are reasonable, supported by receipts and otherwise completed in accordance with this procedure. Authorizing Managers are responsible for ensuring that Employees are aware of the requirements contained within this procedure.

Financial Services staff review and process requests for reimbursement of ������ý business and/or educational travel expenses received from Employees in accordance with this procedure. Employees are expected to comply with this procedure, exercise sound judgment and submit only reasonable requests for reimbursement in accordance with this procedure.

Travel Pre-Authorization

Employees must seek approval from their Authorizing Manager in advance of travel, which must include:

• Employee’s name(s) who is (are) traveling;
• dates of travel;
• reasons for travel;
• destinations;
• documentation demonstrating that the transportation and accommodation is the most reasonable and cost-effective method (such as quote comparisons); and
• relevant budget/financial implications.

Employees seeking approval for all travel to the United States or other locations outside of Canada must also comply with ������ý’s policies and procedures with respect to international travel.

The Authorizing Manager may:

• approve the request;
• reject the request; or
• request more information from the Employee in order to come to a decision.

All such decisions must be in writing. The Employee may proceed to book and incur travel-related expenses once approval is obtained from their Authorizing Manager.

Payment of Travel-Related Costs

When paying for costs related to ������ý travel, Employees are expected to, whenever possible, use the ������ý corporate credit card.

Please contact Financial Services for information on obtaining ������ý corporate credit card.

Cash advances should be avoided when possible to pay for ������ý travel expenses. Nevertheless, in limited situations, Employees may request, and ������ý may approve a cash advance to pay for ������ý travel expenses. Employees must submit a Payment Voucher requesting a cash advance no later than three (3) weeks before they require payment.

When necessary, Employees may use their own method of payment for out-of-pocket expenses related to ������ý travel. Employees may request reimbursement of such expenses by following the Travel Expense Reimbursement Procedure described below.

Travel Expense Reimbursement Procedure

Employees who incur out-of-pocket expenses related to ������ý travel may request reimbursement of such expenses using the Expense Reimbursement Form. Travel related expenses may not be claimed when they are provided at no cost to the claimant, such as meals included as part of a conference. ������ý will accept and reimburse travel expenses that are legitimate, reasonable, and appropriate given the circumstances.

Employees must complete the Expense Reimbursement Form (which must be approved in accordance with ������ý’s procedure related to signing authority) and submit it, along with original or scanned receipts for all expenses by the Employee’s Authorizing Manager, to Financial Services within thirty (30) days of the Employee’s return. Receipts must be detailed and itemized, and include the following information:

• date of purchase;
• method of payment;
• description and cost of item(s) incurred; and
• vendor’s name and contact information.

Refer to Schedule B for further information on the type of supporting documents required for main categories of travel expenses that should be submitted along with the approved Expense Reimbursement Form.

If a receipt does not state the method of payment, the Employee must indicate in writing the method of payment on the receipt. To avoid duplicate submissions, an Employee who submits the electronic scanned copies of receipts must destroy the original receipts once a request has been approved and reimbursed.

Financial Services will review the completed Expense Reimbursement Form and receipts and may:

• approve the request if it determines that the completed Expense Reimbursement Form and receipts comply with this procedure;
• reject the request if it determines that the completed Expense Reimbursement Form and receipts fail to comply with the procedure; or
• request further supporting information from the Employee.

Financial Services will use best efforts to review and make a decision with respect to a request for reimbursement within thirty (30) days of receipt. However, rejections for non-compliance and/or requests for further supporting information from the Employee may extend such timeline.

Refer to Schedule C for further information and examples of acceptable and unacceptable expenses.

Declaration for Missing Receipts

Employees are responsible for keeping original receipts for business and/or educational expenses for which they wish to be reimbursed. Employees must make every reasonable effort to obtain duplicate copies of any original receipts that are lost. If unsuccessful, Employees must complete the Lost or Destroyed Receipt Declaration Form, have it approved by their Authorizing Manager, and submit it along with the Expense Reimbursement Form. Employees must follow the above steps for each transaction they wish to have reimbursed and for which they are unable to obtain an original or duplicate receipt. 

Air Travel

Employees should demonstrate that airfare is the most reasonable or cost-effective method of transportation which should be evidenced in writing when sending travel approval request to Authorizing Manager.

Employees should book economy class when booking air travel. Any form of air travel greater than economy class must be pre-approved by the Employee’s Vice-President in writing.

Employees should book air travel through ������ý's designated travel agent. For the travel agent's details, please contact Financial Services.

Vehicle Transportation

Employees should demonstrate in writing that vehicle transportation option (which includes rental vehicle, taxi, rideshare/carshare services, and/or personal vehicle) selected is the most reasonable or cost-effective method of transportation.

������ý will reimburse Employees for use of their personal vehicle related to ������ý who are on a travel status. BCGEU Employees must request reimbursement for mileage in accordance with the provisions related thereto in the Collective Agreement.

Employee’s Authorizing Manager has the discretion to determine the criteria to determine whether the travel status is met to be able to claim vehicle transportation. The distance criteria (100 kilometers one way) may not be applicable in all circumstances. Fair Comparison Employees who receive car allowance must request reimbursement for mileage in accordance with ������ý’s Policy 2307 Vehicle Benefit.

������ý will reimburse such costs using the current per-kilometre reimbursement rate provided for in Schedule A. Such rate is an “all-in” reimbursement rate, and Employees who choose to use their personal vehicles are responsible for all other costs and responsibilities associated with their personal vehicle.

������ý-owned vehicles must be used for business purposes only.

Accommodations

Employees should demonstrate that accommodation selected is most reasonable and cost-effective in writing. Where applicable, Employees should book using the provincial employee rates available through CSA websites for hotels rates. Please contact ������ý designated travel agent or Finance Services for information on the CSA approved accommodation listing. Employee’s Authorizing Manager has the discretion to determine the criteria to determine whether the travel status is met to be able to claim accommodation. The 100 kilometers one-way distance criteria for travel status may not apply in for all accommodation booking situations, for example when booking a hotel near the airport for an early morning flight for Employee’s safety considerations. BCGEU Employees must request reimbursement for accommodation in accordance with the provisions related thereto in the Collective Agreement.

Private Accommodations

Employees seeking reimbursement for private accommodations related to ������ý travel must indicate the number of nights on the Expense Reimbursement Form. BCGEU Employees must request reimbursement for private accommodations in accordance with the provisions related thereto in the Collective Agreement.

Employees on travel status may claim a per day amount for private accommodation when staying with a friend or family member using the rate shown in Schedule A.

Meals

Employee’s Authorizing Manager has the discretion to determine the criteria to determine whether the travel status is met to be able to claim meals. The distance criteria (100 kilometers one way) may not be applicable in all circumstances.

Employees seeking reimbursement for meals and/or other per diem allowances related to travel must use the applicable rates described in Schedule A. BCGEU Employees must request reimbursement for meals and/or other per diem allowances in accordance with the provisions related thereto in the Collective Agreement. Employees must submit invoices and receipts for the individual meals, if applicable (refer to Schedule A) with the completed Expense Reimbursement Form approved by the Employee’s Authorizing Manager. Subject to any agreements to the contrary, all other Employees must claim meals and/or other per diem allowances in accordance with Schedule A.

Hospitality and Alcohol

Employees seeking reimbursement of expenses related to entertaining clients or potential clients, particularly where alcoholic beverages may be included, must obtain approval from the Director responsible for their area, as well as the Vice-President, Finance and Operations.

Combining Personal Travel

������ý will reimburse for ������ý travel-related costs of the Employees only. Additional expenses arising out of personal extensions or related to the Employee’s family, friends, or otherwise, will not be reimbursed. The supporting receipts must separate the Employee’s portion of expenses. Employees wishing to combine personal travel with ������ý travel, and with such travel being outside of British Columbia, must obtain prior approval from their Authorizing Manager in writing. 

Medical Insurance Coverage

Employees have medical insurance coverage through the ������ý’s extended health care service provider. Please refer to the benefit booklet available on ������ý intranet and/or contact ������ý’s People & Culture Team for more information. 

Workers’ Compensation Insurance Coverage

Employees performing work on behalf of ������ý outside of the province of British Columbia must ensure that they are in compliance with provincial/territorial jurisdictions relating to worker’s insurance coverage. Employees must refer to the website and/or call provincial/ territorial worker’s insurance agency prior to travel to obtain information on the specific requirements. When registration is required in a specific provincial/territorial jurisdiction worker’s insurance agency, the following information must be emailed to Payroll general inbox prior to travel for registration purposes:

• names of all Employees who will be traveling;
• geographic location where any work will be performed and who will perform it;
• dates of travel and length of stay; and
• wages to be earned by Employees while they are traveling.

Travel Compensation

Employees who do not receive a salary may be eligible for compensation for travel up to eight (8) hours per day. BCGEU Employees must make such claims in accordance with the provisions related thereto in the Collective Agreement. 

Related Policies and Procedures

• (for internal use only)
• (for internal use only)
• 2201 Financial Management Policy
• (for internal use only)
• (for internal use only)

Documents and Forms

• (for internal use only)
• Expense Reimbursement Form
• Lost or Destroyed Receipt Declaration Form
• Payment Voucher
• Schedule A: Meal and Accommodation Per Diem and Mileage Rates
• Schedule B: Required Supporting Documents for Expense Reimbursement
• Schedule C: Reimbursable Travel and Other Expenses