Policy Updates for University Business Travel Management

OSU Administrative Professionals Group 11/13/2015

For orders over $49 or fulfilled by Amazon Same as Prime Account 2

AMAZON: Office of Legal Affairs & Amazon legal have finalized the contract Terms & Conditions OSP and UNIV will each have their own separate Amazon Business Account administrators and reconciliation reporting All authorized Amazon Business Account members will be identified & registered by their unique name.#. Only authorized OSU PCARD holders will have access to the Amazon Business Account 3

AMAZON: Computers & laptops, data storage devices, software, cell phones, cameras, medical equipment, lab equipment, office supplies, printing/copying devices should be procured through University contracts to ensure risk compliance and University contract compliance Cloud or Web Services cannot be purchased through Amazon or any other supplier/vendor/distributor, unless approved and vetted by OCIO risk assessment 4

Travel Policy Travel Policy Updates 5

Topic Policy Enhancement/Change Things to consider Travel Status (Policy Details, I, B, pg. 2) An individual s daily commute to and from residence and headquarters, is not considered in university business travel status and therefore not eligible for travel expense payments. Should be reviewed at the travel request entry and approval. Cash Advances (Policy Details, IV, B, 3, pg. 4) Any cash in excess of the approved reimbursable expenses must be returned to the appropriate departmental account or sponsored project within 30 days of completion of the trip. (Policy Details, V, F, pg. 4) Total travel expenditures that exceed the travel estimate by 20% or more must be approved by the designated approval authority. Cash advance must be reconciled for the proper amount to be returned to the department. The return of the money can be documented by a JE, return receipt or other validation. Approval Thresholds Calculate total cost of trip not just reimbursement. Additional approvals can be obtained via email, comments in eTravel, ad hoc approvals, etc. 6

Topic Policy Change Things to consider Vacation in Conjunction with Business Travel (Policy Details, VII, A, B and C, pg. 4) Travelers incurring additional costs by taking vacation in conjunction with business travel must pay for the costs of travel and other expenses with personal funds and request reimbursement for the business travel costs after completion of the trip. Travel expenses to and from alternate vacation destinations occurring before, during, or after university business travel are not eligible for payment with university procurement methods. In cases when vacation time is added to university business travel, any cost variance in expenses such as airfare, vehicle rental, and/or lodging must be clearly identified and documented in eTravel, to validate that the vacation time does not add additional cost to the university. Approvers should be comparing the requested travel dates with the conference agenda, business purpose etc. Ensure an appropriate comparison has been included. Flights vs miles Baggage fees Parking airport, hotel, etc. Per diem Airfare comparison s done after the trip will be deemed as an exception If the vacation in conjunction with business is less than or equal, University can pay. If not employee must pay either out of pocket or reimburse University at the time of university payment. 7

Topic Policy Change Things to consider Reasonable Accommodations (Policy Details, XI, A, pg. 4) Requests for reasonable accommodations for a disability will be considered by units in consultation with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator. Documentation should include: Note in comment box on eTravel and/or Reimbursement form Letter attached from ADA office Document Retention (Policy Details, XII, A, pg. 4 and 5) All travel related documentation (including and not limited to receipts, itinerary, registration materials, etc.), must be scanned into eTravel. Hard copies of these documents must be retained by the unit for 60 days consistent with the university Records Retention Schedule and must be available for review and audit. No need to keep hard copies indefinitely. Ensure all copies are legible and attached to the eTravel. General expense theme (Various) Travelers should incur the lowest reasonable cost that meets business needs. Use reasonable judgement 8

Topic Policy Change Things to consider (Procedure, I, A-G, pg. 5) Transportation connected with university business travel should be purchased at the lowest reasonable coach/economy fare that meets business needs. Economy plus, seating upgrades, or pre- boarding options are not permitted to be purchased with university resources and will not be reimbursed. First class airfare is not permitted to be purchased with university resources and will not be reimbursed. Business class is only permissible with international flight times in excess of five consecutive flight hours, excluding layovers. Airfare Expense CTP and Uniglobe are prohibiting from booking seat upgrades and first class using University procurement methods CTP may upgrade seats at no cost to the University 9

Topic Policy Change Things to consider Personal Vehicle Mileage (Procedure, III, pg. 6) Travelers will not be reimbursed for mileage when commuting to and from their residence and headquarters. If a traveler is required to report to a location(s) other than their headquarters during a normal work schedule, the traveler will only be reimbursed for the total distance from their residence to the alternate location(s) less the traveler s normal commute. Use reasonable judgement Focus on what was included Documentation requirements have changed MapQuest or similar no longer required Lodging Payment must not exceed either the conference rate at the conference/convention site or twice the federal lodging rate for the business travel location. If the lodging expense falls within the range of 1.5 to 2 times the federal lodging rate and is not a conference rate, then additional justification is required. Rate may change monthly in some locations Additional justification could include needed proximity to a meeting need, cost comparison with hotels in the immediate vicinity 10

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