Employee Travel Policy Example

Purpose And Scope Of This Policy

This policy has been laid out to ensure all employees are aware of and follow the general guidelines when official travel is involved. This policy will include all situations, domestic and international, from expenses management till accommodation. This policy doesn’t refer to travelling to and from the office on a daily basis for work.

All travel logistics and costs will be handled/managed via the central HR portal that you have access to, www.(name of website).com

Preamble

1. All travel, domestic and international must be approved 30 days prior to expected travel date by the team leader and reporting manager.
2. All approvals are based on costing approved at the time of submission, if there is a change, a fresh travel request will have to be applied for with expedition.
3. If there is a travel allowance advance, this must be submitted 15 days prior to the finance department from your team leader, after approval from the reporting manager.
4. Only food bills can be reimbursed. Alcohol and any other expenditure are not allowed to be expensed.
5. All bills and receipts of the entire trip must be submitted within 5 working days to the Team Lead in order to be approved and processed.

Company Approved Travel Agent And Process

1. The designated travel agency for flight, bus and car is (name of agency). All communication between our company and them will be done through the team lead.
2. If (travel agency) is unable to provide required services, we have a list of alternative travel service providers which can be requested from the HR department.

Travel

1. By car
   1. Employees renting vehicles for domestic travel must do so from the approved travel vendor.
   2. Gas costs will be reimbursed, please ensure you give the car back on a full tank to ensure no overages
   3. Speeding tickets will not be covered by the company
   4. Tolls and extra expenses in relation to the car will be covered by the company
2. By bus
   1. Bus is an option when travel time is under 6 hours.
   2. To book the bus, please look at approved vendors via company approved travel vendor.
   3. Employees are allowed to book economy seats in a bus
   4. Directors are prohibited from travelling by the bus, unless there is no other option
3. By flight
   1. Employees are expected to select the lowest cost airfare for the trip. Director level and above are permitted to travel in business class.
   2. For domestic travel, there should be no more than 1 layover, for international, 2 at maximum.
   3. If the employee wishes to upgrade or get add-on facilities, these will not be covered on company expense.
   4. If you have frequent flyer programs, these points will be given to you, the individual, and can be used for personal purposes.
   5. In case of an emergency cancellation, the employee must inform their Team Lead at the earliest.
   6. Travel reimbursement covers home to the airport and vice versa. However, cab, ridesharing (economy/regular) will be reimbursed. Only director level and above can book premium services.

Lodging

The company has a list of approved lodging options depending on employee designation. All lodging requests should be placed along with travel in order to know the total cost of the trip. A list of approved vendors is available from HR or travel vendor, only team leads are allowed to request this list.

1. 1. If amenities are included within hotel booking rate, employees are allowed to access and use these facilities.
   2. If there are extra amenity costs the employee chooses to use – the cost must be borne by the employee.
   3. In the case of cancellation, please let your team leader know as soon as possible so alternative options can be looked for.

Meals

All meal costs since departure will be borne by the company. Each day is calculated as 24 hours from the time of departure from the origination point. The total meal expense per day is calculated as (cost) INR. (cost) INR for breakfast, (cost) INR for lunch and (cost) INR for dinner.

1. 1. If travel is just for one day, breakfast will be included if the employee has to leave 3 hours prior to reporting time, normally 9 am.
   2. If travel is just for one day, dinner will be included if the employee reaches home within 3 hours post leaving time, normally 5 pm.
   3. We reimburse only your own portion of the bill if you’re travelling with a non-employee, ensure you separate your bills or ask for separate receipts.

Travel Insurance

In the case the employee falls sick during travel and/or during travel, costs for this will be incurred according to insurance or company policy, whatever is applicable.

Spouse/Guest Travel

If the employee travels with a spouse or guest, costs for that additional person will not be covered by the company, unless pre-approved by Team Leader and Reporting Manager.

Policy Validity

This policy is valid for one year, starting January 1 of the respective year, ending on December 31 of the same year. For any clarifications or corrections, please contact the HR department.