Travel Expenses Policy (899_1)

Policy Ref. 219 v. 3
Page 1 of 3
Policy Title Travel Expenses Policy
Effective Organization 09: The organization's leaders allocate and control the
Accreditation organization's financial resources to maximize efficiency and meet the service needs
of the community.
Approved By
Approved
Effective
Tuija Puiras (Chief Executive Officer)
04/29/2015
04/29/2015
Printed copies are for reference only. Please refer to the electronic copy for the latest version.
Purpose: To provide guidance to management and employees who travel on North West Community
Care Access Centre (NWCCAC) business. For the purpose of this procedure, travel does
not refer to a person’s regular commute to work – expenses related to a person’s regular
commute are not reimbursable.
Revision History:
Select “Document History” from the “Overview” tab for version and details.
Departments Affected:
Policy:
All employees travelling on company business and their managers.
All employees travelling on North West Community Care Access Centre (NWCCAC)
business are representing the company. All travel expenses must be compliant with the
Broader Public Sector Expenses Directive.
All employees require prior approval for travel. All travel within the province of Ontario is
approved by the Finance Manager. Travel outside the province of Ontario is approved as
listed below. Travel outside Ontario for the CEO must be approved by the Board Chair.
Travel for Board Members is addressed in Board Policy Board Effectiveness:
Reimbursement of Board Director Expenses.
Mileage that is part of an employee’s day to day work does not require prior approval.
Expenses incurred on company trips should be consistent with normal living standards.
Those who are in any doubt as to the appropriateness of a specific travel expense should
consult with the Finance Manager for guidance.
Exceptional travel expenses due to a true emergency, such as a medical incident or
accident, will be considered for additional reimbursement by the NWCCAC.
All expense claims may be subject to secondary internal audit for up to 12 months
following payment. Further payments to either the employee or NWCCAC may be
required as a result of secondary internal audits.
Policy Ref. 219 v. 3
Page 2 of 3
Policy Title Travel Expenses Policy
Printed copies are for reference only. Please refer to the electronic copy for the latest version.
In the event of any conflict between this policy and the Broader Public Sector Expenses Directive,
the Broader Public Sector Expenses Directive, shall prevail.
Definitions: Mileage - means the payment a company makes to its employees for use of their own
personal vehicles based on a flat rate per kilometer travelled on company business.
Mileage flat rates are calculated to reimburse not only gas, repairs and insurance, but also a
fair share of wear and tear (depreciation) on the vehicle.
Responsibilities:
Every employee travelling on company business is responsible for:
• Behaving as a representative of the company at all times
• Following company procedures and guidelines for expenses
• Retaining all receipts
• Immediately reporting any damage to a rental vehicle to the Finance Manager
• Discussing planned travel with their immediate supervisor
• Considering alternate lower cost options including either teleconferencing or
Videoconferencing
• Approvers are prohibited from approving their own expenses. Expenses for a
group can only be claimed by the most senior person present – expenses cannot be
claimed by an individual that are incurred by his/her approver (e.g., an executive who
reports to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) cannot submit a claim that includes the
cost of the CEO’s lunch even if they were at the same event, with the result that the
CEO would thereby approve his/her own expenses).
Operating Department Managers are responsible for:
• Discussing travel requests submitted by employees to ensure business need for travel
• Reviewing and approving all expenses for compliance with company policy and
procedure submitted by the travelling employee
• Discussing lower cost options including either teleconferencing or videoconferencing
The Finance Department is responsible for:
• Providing guidance to employees regarding appropriate types and levels of allowable
expenses
• Ensuring that travel expenses are properly authorized and documented
• Final approval of all travel requests, expense requests and expenses
Policy Ref. 219 v. 3
Page 3 of 3
Policy Title Travel Expenses Policy
Printed copies are for reference only. Please refer to the electronic copy for the latest version.
• Discussing lower cost options including either teleconferencing or videoconferencing
For travel outside of the Province of Ontario the following approvals are required:
•
•
•
•
To another Province – employee’s Director and the Finance Manager;
To Minnesota – employee’s Director and the Finance Manager;
To all other continental United States – employee’s Senior Director and Finance Manager;
To all other destinations outside of Ontario – Chief Executive Officer and Finance Manager;
Higher levels of authorizations or designates are also acceptable approvers for the above.
Procedure:
Travel Expenses Procedure
Reference: Finance and Accounting: Travel, Meals and Hospitality Expense Policy