WIA Travel Information

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Travel and Expense | Reimbursement Policy 

BUSINESS TRAVEL EXPENSES

OVERVIEW

Purpose

The following guidelines are designed to apply sound accounting policies and establish full accountability for the disposition of WIA’s funds.  These guidelines are consistent with the Internal Revenue Service’s reporting requirements. It is the association’s intent herein to provide clarification of appropriate travel and entertainment expenses and up-to- date guidance on accounting and reporting procedures for these expenditures.

Philosophy

WIA’s management believes its employees are entitled to reasonable comfort and convenience while traveling on Association business.  WIA expects Personnel to exercise discretion and good business judgment when incurring travel and entertainment expenses. Management relies upon all staff to use the same care in spending WIA’s money as they would their own.  The Association’s image is enhanced when those who represent it use expense accounts conscientiously and with obvious concern for the value of the dollar.

 Application

These guidelines apply to all WIA staff. Employees should use reasonable judgment when the guidelines do not specifically address an issue and are strongly encouraged to obtain approval prior to incurring expenses not covered by the guidelines below.  The Association recognizes that unforeseen circumstances and emergencies will arise.  In those instances, a departmental manager will provide guidance on acceptable expenses on a case-by-case basis.

Separate travel accommodations and practices have been developed for staff traveling to the association’s annual conference in general, the Meetings and Events team will handle lodging for the event, as rooms are included on the association’s master hotel bill instead of on individual hotel bills.  This hotel bill is subsequently processed and paid directly by the Meetings and Events team.

 Avenue Travel

Effective December 5,2019, all travel is to be booked through WIA’s designated travel agency, Avenue Travel. Avenue Travel can handle all travel accommodations such as flights, lodging, trains, and rental cars.   The travel arrangements must be made as soon as the employee becomes aware of the trip, to avoid last-minute bookings. The Association is aware that unexpected changes may need to be made on occasion. In these exceptional situations, employees should use their best judgment on handling the arrangements and notify the VP of Finance and Administration of the exception.

The travel portal link is https://www.avenuetravel.com/wia .  The employee must create a travel profile and update their preferences and personal information in the system before booking their first trip.  To book a trip, the employee can select “Travel Request” in the navigation links on Avenue Travel’s site, or email wia@avenuetravel.com.  The online travel request will require coding; however, if the employee books over the phone or via email, they are responsible for providing coding at that time as well. Avenue travel will request approval from the VP of Finance and Administration for all employees (except for the CEO/President and EVP) before booking the travel.

Nexonia

The Association has entered into an agreement with a third-party partner, Nexonia to provide a cloud-based expense management solution that makes expense tracking, management and reporting easier.  Expense reports can be created, submitted, and approved on the web or via Nexonia’s mobile application. In order to ensure familiarity and compliance with WIA policies, employees are required to participate in association-provided training prior to using the Nexonia solution.

BB&T Credit Cards

The Association has entered into an agreement with BB&T to offer a corporate credit card to all Association employees who travel more than twice a year or incur entertainment expenses on behalf of the Association. Each employee is responsible for reconciling their credit card expenses in Nexonia monthly. The coding, brief description, and receipts must be provided in Nexonia for all charges.  The BB&T expense report should be approved in Nexonia by the due date communicated by the Finance & Administration department. Employees are only permitted to use these cards during their employment and are required to return all cards at the end of their employment. Note: In the event that a card is lost, stolen, or damaged the cardholder is responsible for calling BB&T and notifying the VP, Finance & Administration.

American Express Credit Card

The Association also maintains a company corporate credit card with American Express.  Whenever travel is booked through Avenue Travel, it is paid for by our company American Express.  All are responsible for coding their travel at the time of booking.

Temporary Travel Advances

For out-of-town travel, employees may request a travel advance for expenses to be paid in cash.  Since there are many factors that contribute to the cash needs of a traveler (e.g., destination, duration), a set advance will not be established. Employees should base their request on a reasonable estimate of their out-of-pocket needs. Requests in excess of $250 will require the review of the VP, Finance & Administration.

 Note: Temporary travel advances become the responsibility of the individual employee once the funds are distributed. If lost, stolen, or otherwise misplaced, the employee must bear the responsibility for repayment of

the advance to WIA.  The Association supports the use of travelers’ checks and will reimburse the employee for the check fees. Employees receiving a travel advance are expected to submit an approved expense report within 30 days after the completion of travel to clear their advance. If the report is not submitted within that timeframe, the full amount of the advance can be deducted from the employee’s first paycheck following the end of the 30-day period. Except in very limited circumstances, which require the departmental manager’s approval, no additional cash advances will be issued if a previous advance is still outstanding.

Expense Reimbursements

The Association relies upon the personal integrity of each employee and depends upon employees to complete each expense report accurately and honestly.  The guidelines on expense reporting are generally governed by IRS regulations. General ledger code definitions are included in Appendix B. Falsification of expense reports, like falsification of any WIA records, will subject an employee to discipline, which can include termination of employment.

Frequency

Expense reports should be submitted in Nexonia on a per trip basis for all out of town travel.  Prepaid travel expenses (e.g., airfare, advance seminar registration) may be submitted on a separate expense report in advance of the trip. Employees must submit their expense reports no later than 30 days after the completion of an event to ensure reimbursement in the Nexonia system.  Expense reports submitted more than 60 days after the trip/ event will require override approval from the Executive VP or President/CEO.  WIA assumes no obligation to reimburse employees for expenses that are not in compliance with this policy or filed for reimbursement in an untimely manner (i.e. more than 60 days after the authorized travel).

Documentation

All requests for expense reimbursements must be submitted through Nexonia. Original receipts must be included for all expenses.  The monthly credit card statement is not sufficient documentation except in those cases where an original receipt documenting the mode of payment is not available. Receipts should be provided in Nexonia through email, upload, or captured through your mobile phone’s camera.  To prevent loss of receipt, a good practice would be for employees to take pictures of their receipts in Nexonia, at the time of issuance.  When a receipt over $25 is unavailable, a Lost Receipt Form must be filled out with a full description of the expense and the reason for the missing receipt.  The lost receipt form should be uploaded as your receipt in Nexonia for documentation purposes.  The description must include 1) Vendor Name, 2) Description of Services provided, purpose, or product received, 3) Date, and 4) Total expenses (including tips if applicable). In those instances where cash is used, the employee should request a store/restaurant generated receipt to support the expenditure. As required by the IRS, Nexonia will require the name of the individuals present to be provided in the memo section for all business meals, entertainment expenses and staff meals/entertainment.

Approval

The IRS requires, and sound business practice dictates, that any time an employee is reimbursed for expenses, an independent person must approve the request.  In general, that approval should come from management one level higher than the recipient of the reimbursement.  Therefore, all expense reports submitted in Nexonia will be routed to their direct supervisor or VP of Finance and Administrator for approval.

Reimbursement

The Finance & Administration department will review the expense reports for accuracy, proper documentation, and compliance with guidelines.  Should it be determined that an expense is not reimbursable, the expense will be rejected in Nexonia and the staff member will be required to explain the business purpose of the expense.  The employee can resubmit the expense in Nexonia with additional supporting information for consideration.

Delinquent Corporate Card Report Submission

Our BB&T business cards are a benefit to our employees as they eliminate the need for an employee to cover their business expenses out of their own pocket and then wait for reimbursement.  With such benefits comes the responsibility of not only using the card appropriately but also the timely completion of expense reports each month. To address delinquencies in  expense reporting, which impacts the financial reporting process, we are establishing a change to our policy:   Effective November 1st, 2019, BB&T expense reports that are late three times within a rolling six-month period will result in the loss of BB&T business card privileges until further notice. All WIA employees will be required to provide written acknowledgement that they were made aware of this policy. See the last page of this document for example.

 The Accounting Manager is responsible for keeping track of delinquent submissions and will notify the VP of Finance and Administration of any employees who have been delinquent three times within a six-month rolling period. With the approval of the VP of Finance and Administration, the Accounting Manager will notify the employee of the violation and take action which will freeze or the related business credit card.

 TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES

Coding

The costs of taxi, van or car service, metro charges, car rental, mileage, parking, tolls, gas, air or rail tickets should be recorded in the airfare/ground transportation (9310) category in Nexonia.

 Travel by Multiple Employees

The Association recognizes the need for the continuity of overall operations provided by knowledgeable and experienced employees.  This need applies to continuity within senior management, within Departments and within the Association as a whole.  To ensure that the continuity of operations is not lost in a disaster, WIA, through its travel agent, will monitor the number of employees traveling together. If the number is considered excessive, members of the group will be asked to travel on a different itinerary.

Insurance
The Association provides insurance coverage for employees for accidental injury or death while traveling on Association business.  Any purchase of additional business travel insurance by the employee is a personal expense and is not reimbursable.
 

Air and Rail Travel

It is the obligation of each employee to make reasonable efforts to secure coach class tickets at the lowest obtainable fare for the specified itinerary. First class travel and upgrades to first class travel are not reimbursable. All air and rail tickets must be booked through WIA’s authorized travel agency Travel Leaders. All business travel must be assigned an accounting code (including department, program and natural account code 9310); tickets will not be issued until the number is provided to the agent.

Frequent Flyer & Other Benefits

The accumulation of points by participating in airline promotions is for the employee’s personal benefit.  The employee may request a specified airline from the travel agent but if this request increases the cost of the ticket, the employee must reimburse the Association for the difference.

Unused Tickets/Cancellations/Change Fees

Unused tickets are the possession of the Association and must be returned to WIA’s authorized travel agent. The travel agent will issue a receipt that must be attached to the employee’s expense report.  Employees failing to return unused tickets may be required to reimburse WIA for the value of the unused ticket. While staff is expected to be judicious in booking their flight itineraries, it is recognized that last minute itinerary changes due to business-related matters are a cost of doing business.  Therefore, change fees will be treated as a reimbursable expense.

Ground Transportation

Staff is expected to use the most economic mode of transportation available that will meet their travel needs. Taxis and hired cars should be used in lieu of rental cars when the total cost will be less.

Uber Corporate Account

The association has an agreement with Uber to provide ground transportation service to our employees when traveling on business.  New employees who are expected to travel on business will be provided information on the company Uber account as part of their “on-boarding.”

 Car Rental

The use of a rented car must be justified as an economical need and not as a matter of personal convenience. Mid-size cars should be rented unless the size of the group, quantity of luggage, or promotional discounts dictates otherwise. The employee should use the most practical, economical method available for refueling the rental car. Rental cars should be booked through WIA’s travel agency, Avenue Travel. Any incident, and related charges, for collision damage to a rental car used on Association business should be reported to the VP, Finance & Administration.

Personal Car Use

Employees using their personal car to travel on Association business will be reimbursed at the prevailing IRS mileage rate plus out of pocket travel expenses (tolls, meals, and hotels). In no case will the reimbursement exceed the amount that WIA would have paid if the employee had traveled on the most economical coach fare available for the meeting’s itinerary plus local transportation. Only the mileage in excess of the normal commute to work for the staff member will be reimbursable (i.e.  If your normal commute to work is 10 miles and your business travel commute is 25, you will only be reimbursed 15 miles). If additional time away from the office results from an employee’s election to use a personal car for business travel, the employee must use the corresponding  vacation accrual for the additional time. 
 WIA is not responsible and will not reimburse for towing charges, vehicle repairs, parking tickets, speeding or other traffic violations while  a personal vehicle is used for WIA business.

LODGING

 Coding

Hotels should be booked through Avenue Travel. On occasions when the employee is unable to do so, they should notify the VP of Finance and Administration.  When the hotel is booked outside of avenue travel, it should be processed on an Nexonia expense report. All reimbursable charges on a hotel bill are to be itemized by type on the Nexonia expense report (i.e. if the hotel bill is for $400 and $50 is related to parking, the expense should be split and coded to the correct expense account.)   In cases where expenses are charged to the association’s master account with the hotel, employees are expected to review and approve all of the expenses that are charged to the account preferably at the time of checkout. If a folio is not available at the time of checkout, employees should coordinate the review with the employee responsible for the meeting bills.

Room rates

In many locations, WIA or WIA’s authorized travel agency has negotiated special hotel rates.  Employees are expected to take advantage of these favorable rates via the travel agency.  Employees will be reimbursed for the cost of a standard room in the rare occasion when they must be booked outside of the travel agency. The Association will not reimburse for upgrades to club floors or suites unless necessary for business purposes and approved by a department head

Cancellations

In order to avoid no-show charges, it is imperative that hotels be advised of any cancellation prior to their cut-off time.  Employees are expected to know the cut-off time; to cancel reservations prior to that time; and to obtain the cancellation number upon cancellation of the reservation.  Any no-show charges will be passed on to the traveler for verification and payment if attributable to the traveler's failure to cancel. 

PERSONAL MEAL EXPENSES

Personal Meals

The Association will reimburse employees for all personal meal expenses that are in?

APPENDIX A - BUSINESS TRAVEL EXPENSES TIPPING GUIDELINES 

PORTERS: Tip airport porters and train porters $1 per bag, more if your luggage is heavy.  Curbside check-in personnel at airports are not salaried airline personnel and should be tipped.

BELLMAN: $1 to $2 per bag when you are escorted to your room and the same when checking out if you request bellman service.
 
HOTEL MAID: $2 to $5 per night or cumulative at the end of the hotel stay 

CONCIERGE: Tip only for special services such as airline or restaurant reservations.  You can tip when a service is rendered (from $2 to $10 per service depending on how involved it is) or a lump sum upon departure.

 DOORMAN: Do not tip a doorman for simply opening your car or taxi door.  It’s customary to tip the doorman ($2-

$3) for getting you a taxi.  If the doorman unloads your car, tip in proportion to the amount of luggage unloaded.

PARKING ATTENDANT: Tip $1 to $2 when your car is delivered.

ROOM SERVICE WAITER:  Generally the hotel affixes a room service charge to the bill. You should verify, when ordering, that this is a gratuity for the waiter.  If it isn’t, a gratuity of 15% should be added to the bill.

BARTENDER: $1/drink or 15% of the total liquor tab.

BUSBOY: No tip is necessary.

WAITER/WAITRESS: 15% of the total bill, up to 20% for exceptional service.

CLOAKROOM ATTENDANT:  $1 per person (if there is no charge specified).  If there is a charge, no tip is necessary.

TAXI/ CAR SERVICE DRIVER: 10% to 15% 

APPENDIX B - BUSINESS TRAVEL EXPENSES GENERAL LEDGER CODES 

It is this Association’s guidelines to comply with all regulations set forth by the IRS. In order to do so it is essential that all expenses be documented on the expense report in the appropriate categories.
 
9310      Travel Expense – Airfare/Ground Transportation: This account should be charged for any expense related to transportation and includes: air and rail fares, rental and refueling charges, taxis, metro fares, tolls and mileage charges for personal car use.

9330      Travel Expense – Lodging: This account should be charged for hotel room and tax expenses.

9330      Travel Expense – Meals (WIA Employees): This account should be charged for meal expenses incurred while traveling on Association business.  Charges to this account are limited to expenses of WIA employees.

9110      Travel Expense – Meals and Entertainment (Non-Staff):  This account should be charged for meal expenses or entertainment/recreational expenses incurred with individuals outside WIA (members, vendors, etc.) and paid for by WIA.

 9340      Travel Expense – Miscellaneous:  This account should be charged for miscellaneous items such as tips and laundry.

7050      Staff Meals/Staff Entertainment: This account should be charged for local meal expenses for WIA

employees and for entertainment expenses for WIA employees.

7075      Training and Seminar:  This account should be charged for registration fees incurred by WIA employees. It includes luncheon or dinner fees for attendance at professional society meetings.

For travel assistance, please contact Avenue Travel.
info@avenuetravel.com | 888-548-5554.