Christopherson Business Travel

During Travel

• Act as a Responsible Steward of University Funds: Avoid excessive or extravagant expenditures. Accommodations, meals, transportation, and services should be in keeping with what you would use if paying out-of-pocket.
• Exercise Prudence in Meal Choices: Choose restaurants and incur meal costs that are commensurate with normal, daily eating practices and are not lavish or extravagant. If a meal cost seems high, be prepared to provide a written detailed justification. (See section on Per Diem policies)
• Obtain and Keep Original Receipts for All Expenses:General Expenses: You must obtain and keep original receipts for all expenses.
  Meals: For business meals, obtain itemized restaurant receipts when available. The receipt should include the name and location of the restaurant, the number of people served, and the date and amount of the expense. If other items besides food and beverages are charged, the receipt must show this. A credit card slip may suffice if all this information is noted on it.
• Manage Hotel Reservations Carefully: Be responsible for any changes in room reservations or cancellations. Avoid “no show” charges by canceling in a timely manner and recording the cancellation number. Always obtain the folio account from the hotel
• Refill Rental Car Gas Tank: Always refill the gas tank before returning a rental car to avoid higher charges from rental agencies. All purchases of gasoline or other supplies for rental cars must be documented with receipts.
• Limit Personal Laundry/Cleaning: Laundry, cleaning, and pressing charges are only allowed if you are out of the area for more than a week, and only as necessary.
• Use PLU Purchasing Card (P-Card) for Authorized Expenses: If you have one, use your PLU purchasing card for authorized business travel and meals. If purchasing a retail item for PLU, describe the item and business purpose on the “Other” line of the Travel Expense Voucher. You will be responsible for items not in compliance with PLU’s Purchasing Card Policies and Procedures.

Per Diem Practices

PLU’s policy for meals is as follows:

• Actual Cost Reimbursement: The university’s policy is to cover the actual cost of breakfast, lunch, and dinner when an employee travels out of town on PLU business.
• Reasonableness and Prudence: Meal costs are expected to be “commensurate with the normal, daily eating practices”. The policy emphasizes that employees should act as “responsible stewards of university funds” and avoid “excessive or extravagant expenditures”. Since meal costs vary widely, employees are expected to “exercise prudence and good judgment in the selection of restaurants”.
• Justification for High Costs: A written detailed justification is required when meal costs charged to the University are deemed “lavish or otherwise extravagant”.
• Alcoholic Beverages: One alcoholic beverage purchased with a meal is allowable, typically at dinner.
• Documentation: Original, itemized restaurant receipts are required for all expenses, including meals. A restaurant receipt is sufficient proof if it includes the name and location of the restaurant, the number of people served, and the date and amount of the expense. If charges are for items other than food and beverages, the receipt must indicate this. A credit card slip alone may suffice if all the required information, including the number of people served, is noted on it.
• Local Business Meals: For local meals and entertainment expenses to be an allowable university expense, a non-PLU business associate must be present for a business purpose. If business is discussed solely between PLU employees, the cost of the meal is the responsibility of the employees.

After Travel

• Submit an Approved Travel Expense Voucher:
  • You must submit an approved Travel Expense Voucher to the Business Office within twenty (20) days from the date the last expense was incurred on the trip.
  • Subsequent travel advances or reimbursements will generally not be processed for staff or faculty who have an overdue travel expense report.
• Adequately Account for Expenses:
  • Document the business purpose of the trip or entertainment.
  • Document the dates and corresponding amounts of each item of expense.
  • If any expenses were incurred on behalf of non-PLU employees, state their business relationship to PLU (e.g., purpose of business entertainment).
• Submit Original Receipts:
  • The university requires original receipts for all expenses, including itemized restaurant receipts when available.
  • For restaurant receipts, ensure they include the name and location of the restaurant, the number of people served, and the date and amount of the expense. If a charge is made for items other than food and beverages, the receipt must show this.
  • For hotel bills, the folio account from the hotel is necessary.
  • For business entertainment, you must indicate on the form the names and affiliation of those entertained, the business purpose of the entertainment, and the nature of the discussion that took place.
  • If using a credit card slip for a meal, it may suffice if all the required information (establishment, city, date, number of people served, amount) is noted on the slip.
• Return Excess Advance Amounts:
  • Employees must return to the Business Office any advance amounts in excess of substantiated expenses within 20 days after the completion of the trip.
  • Any amounts reimbursed or paid to you in the form of an advance that have not met the three accountable plan rules will be included in your income on Form W-2.
• Submit Auto Mileage Form (for local travel):
  • Requests for reimbursement of business mileage and related expenses incurred for local travel on university business must be submitted on an Auto Mileage Form by the 15th of the month following the expense