Travel ChangesOctober 5, 2015

TRAVEL POLICY CHANGES

• 2011 authority to manage a UW System travel program was granted to the Board of Regents.• A survey showed travel rates do not recognize the true cost of travel

• Policies were cumbersome, difficult to understand and subject to multiple interpretations.

• System wide travel governance group formed to develop policies

• President Ray Cross sent a message to all Chancellors on September 14, 2015 introducing the changes

• Generally, new policies are based on federal government rates• Rate model is used by many peer institutions

• Aligns with IRS requirements for an accountable plan necessary for tax purposes.

• Federal rates are reviewed and adjusted annually resulting in more accurate, current rates

TRAVEL RELATED POLICIES

• 1200 - General Travel & Expense Policy• 1201 – Purchase and Payment of Business Air Travel• 1202 – Travel & Expense – Purchase & Payment of Lodging• 1203 – Travel & Expense – Meal & Incidental (M&IE) Per Diem

Allowance Reimbursements• 1204 – Travel & Expense – Use of Personal Vehicles, Rental Cars

& Fleet Vehicles for Business Transportation• 1205 – Travel & Expense – Purchase & Payment of Miscellaneous

Travel Expenses• Headquarter City and Sponsored Events Policy (under revision)

AIR TRAVEL POLICY

• Air travel policy – January 5, 2015• Effective 1/5/15, all airfare must be booked using:

• Concur (online) self-booking tool• Fox World Travel Agency• Debbie Talbott (UWSA Travel Agent)

• This includes domestic and international airfare for both individuals or groups for all of the following:• Employees• Students• Guests (i.e. Interview Candidates, Speakers, Entertainers, etc.)

Effective July 1, 2015, Airfare booked outside of Concur/Fox World Travel will no longer be paid or reimbursed by UW Funds.

POLICIES & FUND$

• Policies apply to all persons funded in part or in full with University funds• Employees, Non-Employees, Students, Staff, Faculty, Guests, etc.

• Policies apply to all forms of funding• This includes grant funds• Regardless of funding source, if it is reimbursable on a Travel

Expense Report, UW Policies apply

GENERAL/MISCELLANEOUS

• Expenses submitted after 90-days will not be reimbursed

• Any travel related purchase that is not in accordance with

policy will be deemed unauthorized and will not be reimbursed

• All expenses, including prepaid (P-Card, Direct Payment) must be

accounted for on the TER to create a full picture for auditors.

• If outside sources have paid for any part of the travel, please denote

that on the TER to provide a thorough narrative

LODGING-How are the rates calculated?

• In-state: • Maximum Federal GSA (General Services Administration) rate based on location. • Excludes tax-No tax on lodging is to be paid or reimbursed in WI.• Use tax exempt certificate or card

• Out of State: • Maximum 125% of Federal GSA rate based on location and season. • Excluding tax • Tax IS reimbursable/payable in addition to the rate.

• International (includes Alaska, Hawaii & U.S. Territories):• Maximum DOD (Department of Defense) rate • Rate is inclusive of tax-no additional tax beyond rate is to be paid or reimbursed.

CONFERENCE LODGING

• Externally sponsored conference:• Conference Site Hotel AND Conference Recommended Hotel are

allowable and reimbursable/payable above the location maximum.

• Please include documentation of this with your TER by printing out the lodging site/recommendations from the conference website

• Internally sponsored (University) conferences:• maximum Federal GSA Rate for city• Higher cost for conference hotel disallowed

LODGING (continued)

• Use of online brokers such as Airbnb, Hotels.com, Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, VRBO, Kayak etc. WILL NO LONGER BE REIMBURSED

• Approved hotel booking methods • Concur

• Note: not all hotels displayed in Concur meet the maximum spend allowances.

• Fox World Travel• Direct with hotel• Direct with conference organizer (as long as it is not an online

broker)

ONLINE CALCULATOR

• Available on the Travel Wise portal

M&IE RATE CALCULATOR

• Tool for determining hotel maximums & meals

• Calculator is the official source for lodging and per diem rates

• Can be utilized prior to travel to obtain costs for approval

• Table of expenses is printable for use with pre-approval applications and is REQUIRED for submission with the TER

MEALS AND INCIDENTALS

• Meals paid as a daily per diem based on the federal rates for individual travelers based on the city you spend the night in.

• Per diem is only allowed for full 24 hours of travel

• Meal allowance is 75% of first and last days of travel

• Travelers must deduct any provided meals (i.e. conference lunch) from the per diem allowance (20% breakfast, 30% lunch, 50% dinner)

• No leave / return times required on TER

• No receipts required

MEALS AND INCIDENTALS (cont)

• Same day travel (no overnight stay), per diem paid at $15 when the traveler is expected to incur out of pocket costs.

• Same day travel meals are reportable as income

• Per diem cannot be exceeded with University funds

• No same day trip allowance paid if traveler receives any provided meals

• Per diem rates do not apply to hosted meals • Hospitality events• Hosting candidate

MEALS AND INCIDENTALS (cont)

• Incidental expenses included in the per diem• Incidentals are defined as

• Fees and tips (housekeeping, porters, etc)• Laundry • Dry cleaning and pressing of clothing• Phone Calls• Bottled water for foreign locations• Transportation between place of lodging or business to obtain meals when not obtainable within the

immediate vicinity

• Travelers CANNOT claim M&IE on the behalf of another person.

• M&IE are reimbursable for single traveler only and should be filed by individual traveler.

PERSONAL VEHICLE MILEAGE & CAR RENTAL

• Personal Vehicle:• Mileage rate increases to federal rate - $0.575/mile• Gas receipts no longer paid in lieu of standard mileage • Must be authorized driver on file with Risk Management

Risk Management Drivers Program

• Rental Vehicle:• Gas receipts reimbursable• Use of rental vendor contracts is REQUIRED• Car Rental Contract Numbers on TravelWise Portal• FSO-Fuel Service Option or refueling service at rental location is not reimbursable• GPS is NOT REIMBURSABLE• 12 & 15 Passenger vans are not allowed

MISCELLANEOUS TRAVEL EXPENSES

• No Change to Train transportation, Bus transportation, Taxi/shuttle, Tolls• Advance deposit on toll pass accounts are not permissible, only the dollars

used to cover actual tolls

• Parking• Headquarter city parking allowed but not at employee’s worksite

• Business internet / WI-FI• Reasonable cost allowed with business purpose explanation

• Visa / inoculations for international travel• Passport fees not reimbursable/payable• Visa and inoculations allowed with receipts

SPONSORED EVENTS (currently under revision)

• Examples of functions that fall in this definition• Conferences• Seminars• Retreats/workshops• Training sessions• Academic colloquiums• Receptions• Orientations• University Official Functions (specific to events hosted by System President, Campus

Chancellor• Board of Regents Meetings• Business meetings including external stakeholder and business partners of the University.• Hospitality or hosted meals for job candidates, recruits, etc.• Department meetings

SPONSORED EVENT RATES

• Within Wisconsin• Breakfast $12/person• Lunch $18/person• Dinner $30/person• Breaks $10/person

• All rates are based on actual expenses and include standard gratuity / service charge (up to 20%)

• Purchases must be documented with an itemized receipt from the supplier

• Alcohol cannot be paid with University funds

• Outside Wisconsin• Breakfast $15/person• Lunch $23/person• Dinner $37/person• Breaks $10/person

• All rates are based on actual expenses and include standard gratuity / service charge (up to 20%)

• Purchases must be documented with an itemized receipt from the supplier

• Alcohol cannot be paid with University funds

SPONSORED EVENT POLICY & PROCEDURE

• Meal Expenses Allowed-• When the meeting is not purely social in nature• When the business could not effectively be conducted any other

time but during the meal period.• Must provide:

• Name, Purpose, Date and Time (beginning/ending) of the meeting• Meeting Agenda• List of participants and affiliation• Original ITEMIZED invoices or receipts• Justification for meeting over meal period

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• UW-MILWAUKEE TRAVEL AUDITOR

Sarah Kissinger

sarahmk3@uwm.edu/ 229-4528

• New TER on TravelWise Portal and at UWM Travel Forms website