From 4bc73ba60d4a0a1613f64a48e1d5d3c05e02a62a 2012-03-27 17:34:30 From: Tony Sebro Date: 2012-03-27 17:34:30 Subject: [PATCH] --- diff --git a/Travel/Conservancy-Travel-Policy.tex b/Travel/Conservancy-Travel-Policy.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..63a058df932779a73c9521a792a9776b63f85bd3 --- /dev/null +++ b/Travel/Conservancy-Travel-Policy.tex @@ -0,0 +1,346 @@ +%% LyX 2.0.1 created this file. For more info, see http://www.lyx.org/. +%% Do not edit unless you really know what you are doing. +\documentclass[english]{article} +\usepackage[T1]{fontenc} +\usepackage[latin9]{inputenc} +\usepackage{babel} +\begin{document} + +\title{Software Freedom Conservancy Travel and Reimbursable Expense Policy } + +\maketitle + +\section{Purpose } + +This Travel and Reimbursable Expense Policy (``Policy'') applies +to all Conservancy Member Projects (``Projects'') of Software Freedom +Conservancy (``Conservancy'') and has been created to memorialize +Conservancy's reimbursement policies relating to travel and other +business expenses incurred by employees, project volunteers, and while +engaged in business on behalf of, or at the behest Conservancy or +Project (``Travelers''). + +Conservancy must maintain effective control of business­-related expenses +in order to maintain its financial viability and tax exempt status. +As such, Conservancy expects persons to use good judgment and to claim +reimbursement for only those expenses that are necessary and reasonable. +Excessive expenses, including but not limited to luxury accommodations +and services unnecessary for or unrelated to the furtherance of Conservancy's +charitable mission are not eligible for reimbursement. + +Any travel expense that adheres to this Policy is considered In-Policy +and does not require special approval, so long as the trip itself +has been approved in writing by Conservancy's Executive Director or +by a Project's Leadership Committee (``PLC'') in a regular and documented +PLC vote. Conservancy and/or a PLC can limit allowable travel expenses +to an amount less than what would otherwise be considered acceptable +according to this Policy. If so, the smaller budget is the maximum +allowed expense. + + +\section{Project Leadership Committee Review} + +Conservancy foresees the need for periodic reasonable exceptions to +this Policy. Persons working on behalf of a specific Project seeking +an exception to this Policy must petition their PLC to obtain written +approval from Conservancy authorizing the exception. Persons working +directly on behalf of Conservancy must seeking an exception to the +Policy must obtain written approval from Conservancy authorizing the +exception. + +PLCs are responsible for creating procedures for requesting exceptions, +and submitting to Conservancy reimbursement requests associated with +their respective Projects. PLCs are also responsible for making available +a list of required response times for inquiries, including but not +limited to, the following two cases: a specific number of days to +respond to regular reimbursement requests, and a specific number of +days to respond to preauthorization requests. + + +\section{Air Travel} + + +\subsection{Overall Airfare Cost } + +Domestic travel greater than U.S.\$750 requires Conservancy approval +prior to booking, even if all other Policy conditions have been met. +International travel greater than U.S.\$1,500 requires Conservancy +approval prior to booking, even if all other Policy conditions have +been met. + + +\subsection{Class of Service } + +Coach Airfare is the only acceptable class for all flights (domestic +and international) unless a PLC provides a special exception and a +valid reason to Conservancy for written approval. Travelers may select +their airline of choice (e.g., for the purpose of collecting airline +miles and rewards), provided that the resulting air fare otherwise +meets the requirements of this Policy. Travelers should not book out-of-Policy +trips (and thus pay a higher fare) in order to qualify for a mileage +upgrade. + + +\subsection{Advance Purchase } + +Travel should be booked at least 14 days in advance; any travel booked +less than 14 days in advance requires written preauthorization by +Conservancy. Flights beyond 365 days in advance also require written +preauthorization by Conservancy. + + +\subsection{Low Fare} + +Conservancy aims to balance cost savings with convenience and considers +flights that are within U.S.\$200 of the lowest logical fare to be +within Policy. Any flights greater than U.S.\$200 over the lowest +logical fare require written pre­-authorization by Conservancy. PLCs +shall use Kayak.com as the comparison shopping site for determining +the baseline lowest fare. + + +\subsection{Reasonable Flights } + +Conservancy asks that travelers allow for flexibility with respect +to departure times during a desired day of travel, as well as longer +trips in order to reduce cost. However, Conservancy does consider +flights with two or more connections as unreasonable and does not +expect travelers to consider those flight options to be reasonable. + + +\subsection{Additional Days of Travel} + +Travelers often seek to add extra days before or after an approved +trip (e.g., the weekend before a conference). A traveler may seek +approval for the expenses associated with an extended stay prior to +booking the trip, provided that the additional days are solely to +enable a traveler to conduct work within the PLC's objectives and +Conservancy's charitable mission. Travelers may seek approval to book +travel itineraries that include extra days for personal reasons, so +long as the cost of the flight meets the other requirements of this +Policy. Other expenses incurred during extra personal days beyond +air fare and transportation to and from the airport are not reimbursable. + + +\subsection{Excess Baggage } + +Should a team member travel on an airline that charges for a single +piece of checked baggage, such a baggage expense is eligible for reimbursement. +Team members are responsible for charges on any baggage beyond a single +piece. + + +\subsection{Out-of-Policy Bookings } + +All air travel not adhering to the above Policies are considered Out-of-Policy +and require written preauthorization by Conservancy's Executive Director. + + +\subsection{Cancellation Fees} + +Cancellation fees and other penalties incurred result of a change +of plans are reimbursable at Conservancy's discretion. In general, +Conservancy shall reimburse such fees if the traveler can submit a +valid reason for the change of plans. Acceptable reasons include Conservancy +and/or the PLC canceling or altering the trip or unexpected delays +in flight connections. In instances where these fees are incurred +without adequate explanation, Conservancy reserves the right to refuse +to reimburse the cost of the fees. + + +\section{Other Reimbursable Expenses } + +Conservancy will reimburse persons for Project-related expenses that +are incurred while traveling on approved Project business and/or approved +Conservancy business. Only necessary, ordinary and reasonable expenses +are eligible for reimbursement, and only those categories of expenses +listed in this document qualify. + + +\subsection{Lodging } + +In some cases, Conservancy or a PLC may decide to book lodging on +behalf of travelers. In this case, Conservancy­-booked lodging is +always considered In-Policy. If a traveler wants to stay elsewhere +or self-book at the same location, Conservancy will only reimburse +the team member the amount that it would otherwise have paid. Travelers +are expected to be cost-conscious and prudent when booking lodging +for approved trips. Lodging documentation submitted as part of a reimbursement +request must include a copy of the hotel invoice detailing all charges +(credit card receipts alone are unacceptable). Conservancy will not +reimburse travelers for any costs associated with an upgrade of room +accommodations. + + +\subsection{Meals \& Incidental Expenses} + + +\subsubsection{Overview. } + +Travelers can submit for reimbursement receipts for meals and incidental +expenses for every day of a trip devoted to PLC- and/or Conservancy-related +mission work, including the day(s) of travel itself. Expenses shall +be reimbursed up to a ``per diem'' limit. Per diem limits within +the United States shall be based on the United States General Services +Administration's Per Diem calculator (www.gsa.gov/perdiem), using +the ZIP code of the travel destination. For example, a traveler based +in Pao Alto, CA heading to a conference in Atlanta, GA (with a layover +in Dallas, TX each way) will use the ZIP code of the destination in +Atlanta to calculate the per diem for the entire trip, including days +of travel. Per diem rates for locations outside of the United States +shall be based on the United States Department of State's ``Foreign +Per Diem Rates by Location'' calculator's ``Meals \& Incidental +Expenses'' (M\&IE) column (http://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per\_diem.asp), +using the name of a listed city closest to the travel destination. +For example, a traveler based in Pao Alto heading to a conference +in London, England (with a layover in New York City) will use an M\&IE +per diem for London for the entire trip, including days of travel. + + +\subsubsection{Group Meals} + +For groups of travelers on an In-Policy trip, a single traveler can +submit for reimbursement a receipt for a group meal. To do so, that +traveler must include the names of the other travelers who participated +the meal in his/her expense report, and the average cost of each meal +will be applied towards the per diem limit for each traveler. Travelers +may not submit for reimbursement the cost of meals and incidental +expenses for third parties not traveling at the behest of the PLC +and/or Conservancy (e.g., friends, contacts met at a conference, etc.) +unless the purpose of the meal is within the PLC's technical objective +and/or Conservancy's mission. However, even reimbursable meals within +third parties are subject to the traveler's calculated per diem limit. +As an example, a traveler may expense a lunch with a contact met at +a conference to discuss trending issues relating to free software. +The expense of both meals would be reimbursable up to the limits of +the traveler's per diem. In contrast, if that same traveler had dinner +with an old college friend in town to catch up, only the traveler's +meal would be reimbursable. The college friend's meal would not be +reimbursable, even if the traveler's daily meals and incidental expenses +were otherwise under his/her per diem limit. + +PLCs and/or Conservancy retain the right to allocate a separate budget +for anticipated large group meals beyond the individual per diem limits +of each traveler, provided that they are wtihin the PLC's technical +objectives and/or Conservancy's mission. Travelers anticipating a +need to cover such a large group meal may seek pre-approval from his/her +PLC and/or Conservancy for such expenses before the trip. If pre-approval +is granted, the expenses of the large group meal will not be counted +toward the individual per diem limits of any participants traveling +on behalf of his/her PLC and/or Conservancy. + + +\subsubsection{No Entitlement to Balance of Per Diem} + +Travelers who submit for reimbursement receipts that total up to less +than the available per diem for their location shall not be entitled +to the balance of the per diem as a pay out. Travelers who book itineraries +that include extra days for personal reasons will not be allotted +a per diem for the additional days. + + +\subsubsection{Phone Call Charges Part of Per Diem} + +Charges for personal phone calls (e.g., made from a hotel, or via +a mobile phone in international travel) are reimbursable, and count +towards a traveler's per diem. + + +\subsection{Ground Transportation } + +Ground transportation necessary as part of authorized Project trips +is considered to be a reasonable expense. Public ground transportation, +such as taxis, shuttles, buses and municipal transit, are generally +the most cost-eff­ective options and are the standard for eligible +ground transportation reimbursements. All car rentals require pre-authorization +by the PLC or by Conservancy's Executive Director. When car rentals +have been pre­-approved, the rental of compact cars is encouraged; +mid-size vehicles are authorized when necessary (e.g., when compact­-sized +vehicles are not available or the number of passengers or volume of +baggage makes a compact vehicle impractical). + + +\subsection{Rail Transportation} + +Rail transportation as a means of travel for an authorized Project +trip is considered to be a reasonable expense. All rail transportation +must be in economy class in North America. + + +\subsection{Use of Personal Vehicles } + +When circumstances require travelers to utilize their personal vehicles +for Project purposes, he/she can be reimbursed at the current IRS +rate per mile, plus any related parking expenses and toll fees. + + +\section{Non-reimbursable Expenses} + +Non-reimbursable expenses are identified throughout this policy. The +following items are typically non-reimbursable expenses: +\begin{itemize} +\item Partner, spouse, and/or companion travel +\item First class travel +\item Upgrades to air travel, car rentals, or hotel rooms +\item Purchase of clothing, luggage, toiletries and other miscellaneous +personal items +\item Supplemental travel or car rental insurance +\item Fines, penalties, or legal fees +\item Personal entertainment or recreational expenses beyond the alotted +per diem +\end{itemize} + +\section{Satisfaction of IRS Requirements } + +Reimbursed travel expenses are subject to examination by the Internal +Revenue Service (IRS). Travelers are responsible for retaining documentary +evidence that all expenses are strictly for Project-related purposes, +not personal in nature, and therefor not includable as taxable income +to the traveler. Receipts are required for all expenses, no matter +the amount. + + +\section{Currency Exchange Rates } + +Expenses incurred in foreign currencies will be converted to US dollars +based on the exchange rate on the date of incursion. The currency +exchange rate of record shall be the one posted at Oanda.com. + + +\section{Expense Reporting} + +Travelers seeking reimbursement must submit an expense report to Conservancy +with the following information: +\begin{itemize} +\item Name of traveler +\item Brief description of trip and trip's purpose (e.g., ``August 2011 +trip to XYZ conference for ABC project, served as planning committee +member''; ``Feb. '12 FOO hackfest in Portland, OR; contributed code'') +\item Itemized list of expenses +\item Receipts (or scans of receipts) to substantiate each expense +\item In the event that it is impractical to obtain a required receipt or +if such receipt has been inadvertently destroyed, the traveler should +furnish a written statement to that effect, as well as an explanation +of the expenditure involved +\end{itemize} +Any expense without a substantiated receipt and/or a supporting written +statement will not be reimbursed. + +Conservancy requests that all expense reports be submitted within +two weeks of travel. Expense reports filed more than 60 days after +expenses are incurred will not be reimbursed without the approval +of Conservancy's Board. + + +\section{Consequences of Policy Violations} + +Failure to comply with this policy may result in the denial of, or +delay in payment for, reimbursement requests. + + +\section{Policy Changes } + +The Conservancy reserves the right to change any terms of this Policy +from time to time. The Policy of record shall be the Policy most recently +distributed by the Conservancy. +\end{document}