diff --git a/Travel/Conservancy-Travel-Policy.tex b/Travel/Conservancy-Travel-Policy.tex index 63a058df932779a73c9521a792a9776b63f85bd3..4ea854591b40bf96c9bb4b8ef2794e91e0e9b50d 100644 --- a/Travel/Conservancy-Travel-Policy.tex +++ b/Travel/Conservancy-Travel-Policy.tex @@ -16,8 +16,9 @@ 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 +business expenses incurred by Conservancy staff, Project Leadership +Committee (``PLC'') members, and project volunteers while engaged +in business on behalf of, or at the behest of Conservancy and/or a Project (``Travelers''). Conservancy must maintain effective control of business­-related expenses @@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ 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. +days to respond to pre-authorization requests. \section{Air Travel} @@ -84,9 +85,9 @@ 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 +less than 14 days in advance requires written pre-authorization by Conservancy. Flights beyond 365 days in advance also require written -preauthorization by Conservancy. +pre-authorization by Conservancy. \subsection{Low Fare} @@ -133,7 +134,7 @@ 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. +and require written pre-authorization by Conservancy's Executive Director. \subsection{Cancellation Fees} @@ -172,78 +173,69 @@ reimburse travelers for any costs associated with an upgrade of room accommodations. -\subsection{Meals \& Incidental Expenses} +\subsection{Meals and Incidental Expenses} -\subsubsection{Overview. } +\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), +Travelers can submit for a per diem 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. Maximum per diem +rates for travel 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 maximum per diem for the entire trip, +including days of travel. Maximum 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. +in London, England (with a layover in New York City) has a maximum +per diem of the M\&IE per diem listed London for the entire trip, +including days of travel. + +Conservancy encourages travelers to be conservative with their per +diem submissions. + +PLCs and/or Conservancy have the authority to set lower per diems +than those generated by the calculators above. In those instances, +travelers will only be able to submit for the lower per diems. + + +\subsubsection{Group Meals } + +For groups of travelers on an In-Policy trip, each traveler should +pay for his/her own meals, seeing as all participants will have an +opportunity to submit for separate per diems after the trip. + +For clarification purposes, this Policy does not relate to planned +group events that include meals and/or refreshments (e.g., a PLC-organized +conference that includes lunch for all attendees). Further, 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 within 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. + + +\subsubsection{Meals For Organizational Development} + +Travelers may occasionally have the need to invite third parties, +e.g., prospective donors, contributors, community members, etc., to +meals in order to further a PLC's technical direction and/or Conservancy's +mission. Conservancy recommends that travelers seek pre-approval from +their PLC and/or Conservancy for such meals. \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. +a mobile phone in international travel) are not reimbursable as an +expense separate from the allocated per diem. \subsection{Ground Transportation } @@ -251,7 +243,7 @@ towards a traveler's per diem. 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 +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; @@ -286,7 +278,7 @@ following items are typically non-reimbursable expenses: personal items \item Supplemental travel or car rental insurance \item Fines, penalties, or legal fees -\item Personal entertainment or recreational expenses beyond the alotted +\item Personal entertainment or recreational expenses beyond the allotted per diem \end{itemize} @@ -294,10 +286,10 @@ per diem 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. +evidence that all expenses are strictly for Project- and/or Conservancy-related +purposes, not personal in nature, and therefore not includable as +taxable income to the traveler. Receipts are required for all expenses, +no matter the amount. \section{Currency Exchange Rates } @@ -307,22 +299,41 @@ 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{Approvals} + +Travelers traveling on behalf of a Project must seek approvals and +submit expense reports to their PLC. PLCs are to review those expense +reports and pass them along to Conservancy's Executive Director for +final approval and reimbursement. + +Travelers traveling on behalf of Conservancy must seek approvals and +submit expense reports to Conservancy's Executive Director. Conservancy +staff must seek approvals and submit expense reports to Conservancy's +Treasurer or to another Conservancy Board Member designated by Conservancy's +Board. + + \section{Expense Reporting} -Travelers seeking reimbursement must submit an expense report to Conservancy -with the following information: +Travelers seeking reimbursement must submit an expense report to the +appropriate channel 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 Number of days traveled (with documentary evidence, e.g., conference +itinerary, etc.) and associated per diem +\item List of expenses not covered by per diem (e.g., transportation, lodging) +with substantiating receipts (or scans of receipts) + +\begin{itemize} \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} +\end{itemize} Any expense without a substantiated receipt and/or a supporting written statement will not be reimbursed.