Friday 20 September 2013

Increased fuel costs, higher ticket prices, baggage handling fees and the threat of terrorism have heightened the general public's sensitivity to travel but, at the same time, these realities haven't diminished the business community's need to stay connected with vendors, clients and affiliates in other cities, states and countries. Whether you're a new organization or an established one that is revisiting its existing policies about travel, it's critical that your employees have a clear understanding of what's expected when going from Point A to Point B on the company's dime.

Instructions

    1

    Make a list of destinations where your employees routinely conduct company business. Identify which airlines fly in and out of the airports closest to these destinations. Example: Your employees frequently fly from Los Angeles to New York. There are several airports at either end that are served by American, United, Jet Blue and Southwest. Research which carrier has the best prices and time-saving flights. Contact the carrier's corporate travel rep to query what provisions and discounts they can offer your company. Follow this same procedure for accommodations and rental car agencies.

    2

    Define the parameters of corporate travel.
    Examples:
    Is a face-time meeting crucial or could the same results be accomplished in a conference call?
    What are the cost benefits of rental cars versus reimbursing employees for personal car use?
    Under what circumstances will overnight stays be permissible?
    How many employees will attend the same out-of-town meeting?
    Will employees make their own reservations or will a staff member be assigned to centralize all travel requests?

    3

    Establish a reimbursement policy for corporate travel. One option is to provide travelers with an advance to cover transportation, lodging, meals and incidentals. Another option is for employees to pay out-of-pocket and then submit a travel expense claim upon their return. Per-diem amounts should be clearly set forth. If, for example, the maximum allowable for dinner is $25 and the employee spends $75, the $50 difference is not reimbursed by the company. Require that original receipts be submitted with each claim.

    4

    Determine whether frequent flier miles accrued by employees are theirs to keep or need to be surrendered to the company. The same applies to free nights offered by hotels and/or perks that could be considered gifts. Examples: fruit baskets, bathrobes, tickets to local attractions.

    5

    Research the pros and cons of corporate credit cards, gasoline cards and long-distance phone cards. Identify which employees will be entitled to use these cards and establish reasonable limits for making travel-related charges.

    6

    Review your company insurance policies to make sure they address how injury or death that occurs in the course of corporate travel will be handled.

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