UAMS Travel Management Guidelines FY22
UAMS Travel Management provides guidelines for submitting, processing, and approving travel expenses efficiently. The guidelines emphasize proper coding, T-card details, trip resubmission through Workflow, and the requirement of a Justification to Open Closed Trip form. Prior approvals for expenses, distinction between Official Functions and Official Guests, and processing of Official Functions expenses through SAP Travel Module are highlighted in the guidelines. Compliance with State of Arkansas financial management guide is mandatory for all expenses. Stay informed and follow the procedures to ensure smooth processing of travel-related expenses at UAMS.
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Travel Training FY22 UAMS Travel Management
Reminders Due to the number of miscoded expenses, which results in reimbursement to the traveler, please include the last four digits of the T-card in the comments tab. We try to check all credit card numbers on receipts, but often, we find there are no credit card numbers. Please resubmit returned trips through Workflow, when actions are complete. Due to the number of returns we have, Workflow is the tool used to ensure all trips are processed. Please email me directly at smhomsley@uams.edu, if you have questions. Please do not use traveloffice@uams.edu email at this time, due to our limited staff. If you have a returned trip, please read the actions required note very carefully, and then resubmit when actions are completed. Please do not email us to let us know you have resubmitted them. We will receive an email to let us know the trip is in our Workflow, and we cannot work returned trips faster just because they were returned. 2
Opening Trips Because we are frequently inundated with requests to open trips for forgotten receipts, beginning 25 January 2022, a Justification to Open Closed Trip form will be required. Opening closed trips can create errors in accounting, such as overpayments or debts to the traveler, and are time consuming. All trips should be ready for processing when they are submitted. If documentation is requested, and not provided, expenses will be removed, in accordance with policy. 3
Pre-Approvals Please note, in accordance with UAMS Travel Manual 8.4.05a, Any individual who incurs expenses without appropriate prior approvals is assuming a personal obligation for which they may be held liable. Admin Guide 5.1.01, Procurement Policy, echoes this by stating, Any individual making a purchase without a binding purchase order is assuming a personal obligation to the vendor for which he/she may be held liable. This verbiage is also included in the upcoming Official Functions Admin Guide. 4
Official Functions vs. Official Guests Travel for Official Guests of UAMS/Arkansas is NOT the same as Official Functions. Official Functions are meals/events that involve our current employees and students. Examples of Official Functions include Recruiting, Guest Speakers, Student Events. The expenses that an Official GUEST incurs while visiting are NOT official functions. Expenses for Official Guests are processed through Procurement in SAP. In Workday, all travel-related expenses will route through Travel Management, regardless of employee or guest. 5
Official Functions ALL expenses must be pre-approved, in accordance with State of Arkansas financial management guide. Official functions cannot be reimbursed or paid without prior approval. Approval and payment of official functions is now done through the SAP Travel Module. Please enter Official Function ONLY as the reason in the general trip data. Events planning is only approving the use of space and entry into the master calendar. They cannot provide fiscal approval. The Official Function form must describe the event AND the benefit to UAMS. It is essentially a justification form, since the State of Arkansas has strict regulations surrounding meals. Requestors and those who will be reimbursed cannot approve their own forms. Please submit these as soon as possible for approval AND payment. Please note, UAMS employees cannot exceed the maximum allowance per day. So, if there are two events in one day (lunch and dinner), they are still limited by the maximum allowance for the day. 6
Official Functions - Payments These should be submitted immediately after the event has concluded, in order to expedite processing. Please use GFI and GFPI, for proper GL tracking. (GFPI is vendor pay, GFI is a reimbursement) For vendor payments, we must have the vendor number included either in the comments or the notes. For events where fewer than 10 people are in attendance, a breakdown of individual items is required. These can be paid from one receipt/invoice, but we need to ensure our employees are not exceeding the daily meal maximum. The daily meal maximum INCLUDES: the meal, 15% tip, and taxes. Therefore, if an employee attends a meal in Little Rock and their meal amount is $54 BEFORE taxes and tips, then their portion must be capped at $59. We cannot exceed the maximum allowed for any reason for employees. 7
Official Function v. Travel Official functions can sometimes occur in conjunction with travel. For example, a traveler attends a meeting in New Orleans, where they intend to take some potential faculty recruits to dinner. In a situation such as this, the signed Official Function Form must be provided during the trip request. Without this form, justifying why several regulations are being circumvented, we cannot reimburse the meal. However, using the same traveler as an example, if they are traveling to Louisiana for a conference, but have no intention to conduct an Official Function while there, we do not need the Official Function Form. The same is true in state please only include the Official Function Form if it is an actual Official Function. 8
Gratuities Tips cannot exceed 15% for any meal or ground transportation. The exception for this is meals that have eight or more people. This does apply to Official Functions. UAMS employees have a responsibility to ensure they are not charged a tip in excess of 15% for an official function, particularly if it is a vendor pay. Gratuity rates are not something that is included when establishing a vendor only the terms of payment (immediate, 30 days, etc). 9
Virtual Events For tracking purposes, registration for virtual events are processed through Travel Management. UAMS travel policies mandate if an event is held both virtually and in-person, the virtual option shall be selected, for cost savings. 10
Pre-Approval Pre-approval of expenses has always been a requirement, and I have stressed this in all trainings I have done since June 2015. We were audited last year, and one of their findings was that departments are not seeking prior approval before incurring expenses. For large scale conferences, a trip can be entered as soon as the event is announced, if a traveler thinks they might be going. It is much easier to create a trip and seek approval, rather than waiting until the last minute, and hoping we will rush it through. At no time should the departmental travel card be used for employee expenses without prior approval through a trip. 11
UAMS Admin Guide 8.4.01 Employee Travel Regulations This is the starting point for employees on what is expected of them while traveling and incurring expenses for UAMS. This should be reviewed by not only individuals who travel, but those who process travel. The Employee Travel Regulations is crucial for Travel Administrators, as well. 12
Approval of Requests or Expenses Employees cannot approve their own travel requests, documentation, or justifications. We are seeing an increase in the number of memos and justifications that are being signed by the traveler. 13
Reviewing Receipts UAMS Admin Guide 8.4.01, discussed on previous slides, mandates employees should review all receipts and invoices before they accept these. Failure to review receipts and bills for accuracy, and to ensure within scope of policy, can result in removal of expenses, or repayment of funds. Lodging and Enterprise rental receipts are one area that are not being reviewed by not only the travelers, but travel administrators. 14
Flow Chart Showing Room Service Repayment Option 1 Meals charged to lodging on T- card Employee checks receipt before leaving Employee has hotel correct before leaving Meal can be entered for reimbursement Done 15
Flow Chart Showing Room Service Repayment Option 2 Travel Director completes form, adjusts trip Meals charged to lodging on T-card Treasurer sends info to Travel Director Employee accepts receipt without checking Treasurer has to log incoming payment Travel Director sends email to Treasurer Trip must be approved by travel administrator before Travel Management receives Receipt entered into SAP with meals included Repayment taken to Treasurer s Office Treasurer enter adjustment into system Treasurer sends email back to Travel Director and dept showing document numbers Travel Management finds during processing Traveler issues repayment Trip must be submitted through workflow Travel Director has to do clearing on the reimbursement Trip has to be opened for meal expense to be added Department asks traveler for repayment Department contacted, told repayment needed 16
UAMS Admin Guide 8.4.04 Authority to Travel This admin guide outlines what is required prior to travel occurring. Key to this policy is that trips must be created and submitted prior to expenses being incurred. Trips should be submitted as soon as possible, to ensure adequate time for processing by the department and Travel Management. A trip in the system is also required for insurance purposes, and as a tracking tool for emergency preparedness purposes. 17
Travel Expense Reimbursement Reimbursement for travel expenses will be made in connection with the official duties of the traveler and in compliance with IRS rules and regulations; State of Arkansas travel regulations; and UAMS guidelines. Additionally, if an expense is not allowed as a reimbursement, it is not allowed on the BTA/t-card. 18
Personal Travel When a traveler wishes to combine personal activity in connection with a business trip, travel expenses to include airfare - cannot be charged on the T-card. If a traveler chooses to combine personal travel with business travel, they must provide a comparison flight for actual business dates versus their personal expense. Failure to provide comparison may result in reduction of expenses or removal of expenses, as we must have accurate documentation demonstrating what was the most economical flight. Expenses for the actual official business will begin and end based on provided official schedule. This includes meals, lodging, ground transportation such as Uber/Lyft. Rental cars cannot overlap business/personal. 19
Submission Guidelines In accordance with IRS Rules and Regulations, expenses for business travel must be submitted within 60 days of the last date of travel. Trips not submitted within this time frame will result in removal of expenses and suspension of the departmental travel card. Currently, we are not allowing trip entry for dates after June 30th, due to the workday conversion. ALL FY22 trips that have an end date of April 30thor sooner, MUST be closed by June 1st, or they will not be reimbursed, and the BTA will be suspended. Trips with end dates between May 1stand May 31stmust be submitted within 10 days after the end date of travel, for reimbursement and payment, due to the Workday conversion. Trips with end dates of June 1stto June 30thmust be submitted within two days of the traveler s return or trip completion, to ensure all trips are closed within SAP before the Workday conversion. 20
Employee Reimbursement One employee may not request travel payment of another employee s expenses. Adequate supporting documentation must be obtained by the department for any approved exceptions. Exceptions must be attached to the trip request and pre-approved before the expense is incurred. This documentation will be maintained by Travel Management, the custodian of record for travel documents. 21
Mileage Reimbursement for mileage will occur based on the official station listed in SAP, in accordance with the State of Arkansas travel regulations. If a home address or remote location is closer, and the traveler departs from home/remote address, then this can be reimbursed. If an employee is a remote worker, but they are not in the system as a remote worker, they will still be reimbursed from their official station, unless their remote location is closer. Mileage from home is only allowed after normal duty hours, but it must be accompanied by a memo signed by the supervisor stating the event occurs after normal duty hours. 22
Mileage For ALL mileage claims, the beginning and ending street addresses are required. Please provide this information in the trip segments tab. For anything over 25 miles in one day, a mileage log is required, completed with the beginning and ending street addresses and dates. Mileage logs are NOT acceptable as business documentation. 23
Required Receipts and Documents Business documentation is required for all trip requests it should include the purpose, dates, and location. Exception forms are required for exceptions to policy, such as lodging over maximum rate, rental car for out-of-state travel, larger than allowed rental car for in-state, communications charges, etc. All exceptions must be signed by at least the departmental travel administrator, although Travel Management might request a higher signatory authority. Please note, at NO time can meals exceed the maximum daily allowance, nor are these amounts cumulative. NO credit card receipts are allowed as substitutions for receipts. The entire Uber/Lyft receipt is required when ride sharing services are used. The that s all they gave me is not valid, as we have seen 1000 s of these receipts and are very familiar with the receipts provided. 24
Required Receipts and Documents Although meal receipts are currently not required for each submission, the traveler must save their itemized meal receipts. Failure to retain itemized meal receipts can result in the removal of expenses, if the receipts are requested and are not provided. Meal receipts can be requested by Travel Management, Internal Audit, Legislative Audit, or Independent Auditors. Meal receipts for more than one individual must be annotated for each traveler. Meal receipts that are for more than one individual, but are not annotated appropriately, will be removed. It is the traveler s responsibility to ensure their meals are identified, as employees can only be reimbursed for their own expenses. Although Official Functions do allow an employee to be reimbursed for others expenses, the identification of meals is still required, to ensure our employees do not exceed the maximum allowed. 25
Required Receipts and Documents All receipts must be itemized, such as lodging, airfare, rental, Lyft, Uber, taxi, parking, conference fees (where possible), baggage fees, miscellaneous purchases. Lodging receipts must display the name and address of the hotel. Confirmations for flights, lodging and rental cars are not allowed as final receipts. Flight receipts must have the itinerary, traveler s name, and the payment transaction. Rental receipts must show the accurate mileage and the pickup/return date and time. Failure to ensure mileage is accurate on a rental receipt will result in removal of the receipt, or repayment of the expense to the BTA. Fuel is only reimbursed in conjunction with rental vehicles, or if a fleet card fails to work. Prepay receipts are not allowed the traveler must obtain the itemized receipt. They will not be reimbursed from a prepaid fuel receipt. 26
Vacations and Resorts In accordance with IRS Publication 463, If your trip was primarily for personal reasons, such as a vacation, the entire cost of the trip is a nondeductible personal expense. However, you can deduct any expenses you have while at your destination that are directly related to your business. Additionally, A trip to a resort or on a cruise ship may be a vacation even if the promoter advertises that it is primarily for business. The scheduling of incidental business activities during a trip, such as viewing videotapes or attending lectures dealing with general subjects, won t change what is really a vacation into a business trip. 27
State of Arkansas Allowances Travel reimbursement is NOT a per diem. Actual expenses only are to be claimed. Meals and Lodging cannot exceed the maximum allowable rates as listed in the Federal Travel Directory. For lodging, the amount does not include sales tax. For lodging exception requests, these will be reviewed for actual cost savings versus additional transportation costs. Additionally, for exceptions that state networking as the benefit to UAMS, more information may be required. For meals, the amount does include meal costs, taxes, and up to 15% tips. At no time can meals exceed the maximum daily amount. 28
Lodging Lodging with two or more UAMS/ACH employees must be split between the employees, even if the expense is on the BTA. Lodging is NOT allowed in the city of official station. The State of Arkansas only allows the single room rate. AirBnB and VRBO are options, but the overall cost with the additional service fees must be a true cost savings to UAMS, and not a convenience to the traveler, or a personal choice. The State of Arkansas mandates cleaning fees are not allowed, so this is an issue with AirBnB and VRBO. These types of lodging choices must be accompanied by a lodging exception form to justify the out-of-policy cleaning expenses. If an employee has multiple individuals with them in an AirBnB or VRBO, they must provide a comparison to show one person. If more than one UAMS employee stays in the AirBnB/VRBO, the lodging must be split as usual. 29
Lodging For accounting purposes, all communication, incidental expenses, and parking fees must be removed from the lodging expense line in SAP. If incidental fees or meal expenses are placed on the BTA, the BTA will be suspended, and repayment is required. If parking is placed on the room, but a car was not authorized, the BTA will be suspended, and repayment is required. If the BTA is used for lodging, a personal credit card must be presented at check in, and the traveler must review the lodging receipt during checkout. I know I get the argument that they slid the receipt under the door, but that s not an excuse. All travelers have a responsibility to verify their receipts. 30
Lodging Employees are expected to commute to reduce costs when the site of UAMS business is within 50 miles of the home address or official station, whichever is the shortest distance via major highway map mileage. 31
Meals Travelers cannot exceed 75% of the daily allowance for travel days, regardless of their flight times. Meals are not allowed in the city of official station. This includes at the Little Rock airport. Meals that are provided as part of an event cannot be reimbursed. Complimentary meals provided by airlines or hotels are not included in the meal calculations, and therefore do not count against the allowance for the day. Meals are not allowed without an overnight stay, in accordance with IRS Rules and Regulations, as well as State of Arkansas travel regulations. Alcohol is not a reimbursable expense. Room service meals are not allowed on the BTA, at all. Failure to review receipts for room service meals before submission to Travel Management will result in suspension of the BTA. 32
Airfare Airfare must be booked at least two weeks in advance, when possible. Failure to identify travel needs in a timely fashion is not justification for booking outside of policy (i.e., I forgot to book it, or the traveler forgot to submit it to me. ) Main cabin airfare is allowed, based on a blanket justification identifying the cost savings we realize from using main cabin. No upgrades of any kind are allowed. These include, but are not limited to: Delta Comfort, Main Plus, Economy Plus, Anytime, Senior, Business, Business Select, First Class, and so on. Third party booking tools are not allowed. Multiple airlines are not allowed. Seat upgrades are not allowed. Early bird check ins are not allowed. Baggage fees are restricted to the first checked bag each way, and UAMS will not reimburse oversize, overweight, or multiple bags. 33
Airfare Airfare must be non-refundable. Airfare must be the most economical. At no time, should personal airfare miles be a determining factor in airline selection. Many times, we see airlines selected because of the traveler s airline points, but a comparison airfare from an additional airline is much less, $300-$400 or more. If 1000 individuals did this when traveling, then that would be a cost of $300,000 - $400,000. 34
UAMS Sponsored Events For UAMS Sponsored events, lodging and meal amounts cannot exceed the maximum for the area. If your department is planning an event, please contact UAMS Travel Management during the planning phase. 35
Additional Transportation Modes Travel can be accomplished by multiple methods, but it must be the method that serves UAMS and the State most advantageously and economically. If a traveler chooses to drive to an out-of-state event, rather than fly, the traveler will be reimbursed the most economical as displayed on the driving versus flying. If a traveler chooses to drive to an out-of-state event, lodging can be allowed for every 400 miles driven, but only if ground transportation PLUS lodging and meal expenses are more economical than airfare estimates. Please use the most economical airfare, just as if you were purchasing an airfare. Too many times, we receive driving versus flying forms that are inflated. 36
Additional Transportation Modes Driving versus flying forms are only required for out-of-state travel where a traveler elected to drive. Parking is an actual expense, but it will only be reimbursed if the parking actual expense + ground transportation costs are more economical than Airfare. Privately owned aircraft may be reimbursed if it is more economical than commercial flight, or in- state, ground transportation. 37
Personal Vehicle Mileage is currently reimbursed at 42 cents a mile, which is established by the State of Arkansas. Travelers should be advised that the federal rate for mileage on the GSA website is not what we are allowed to reimburse. For in-state events, a trip optimizer must be attached to each trip, and the traveler will be reimbursed the most economical mode between rental estimate or mileage reimbursement. Travel Management uses Google Maps to verify mileage. Mileage must be the shortest, MAJOR route. 38
Personal Vehicle When two or more travelers are driving to the same event in one personal vehicle, the owner/operator of the vehicle is the only one eligible for reimbursement. UAMS employees should attempt to ride share when attending the same event accessible by ground transportation. UAMS has no responsibility for the maintenance, operational costs, accidents, fines, insurance, etc., incurred by the operator of any personal vehicle used while on official business. All applicable laws and regulations must be followed in the operation of any vehicle on official business, including compliance with the UAMS Safety Program. All vehicles used in the performance of official duties at UAMS, for which a traveler is seeking mileage reimbursement, shall not display any political advertising. 39
Rental Cars Out-of-state rentals must be preapproved by the Travel Administrator and Travel Management. Rentals must be more economical than other modes of transportation, or afford some cost savings on lodging. Any rental above mid-sized must also be approved, as an exception to policy. If a traveler is renting a vehicle and the kiosk offers a free upgrade, we will need justification, as this does result in higher fuel reimbursements. Failure to obtain pre-approval may result in denial of the expense, and/or suspension of the T- card. The statewide mandatory contract must be used. 40
Ground Transportation Uber and Lyft are preferred. Ground transportation to bars, attractions, or other personal expenses are not reimbursed. Ground transportation between 10:00 pm and 4:00 am are not allowed, unless it is for a flight. Uber and Lyft for meals are allowed. We only allow traditional taxis for meals in areas that are not serviced by Uber and Lyft. We review each request for reimbursement for meal transportation carefully. Anything outside of five miles of the event/hotel is not allowed. Negotiated hotels are typically held in convenient spots to enhance the experience. Therefore, numerous restaurants are located within the five mile radius we allow. 41
Misc Expenses Miscellaneous expenses are allowed with adequate justification. These can include items such as postage, small emergency supplies, etc. Best example of emergency supplies is if they get a headache or upset stomach and need to purchase Tylenol or Pepto while traveling. Receipts are required, with the justification. 42
Membership Dues Membership dues are only allowed on the travel card IF there is an actual cost savings. For example: A conference registration is $1200 for non-members, $1000 for members. Membership fee is $700. There is no actual cost savings incurred. Signed justification to demonstrate the benefit to UAMS not the traveler for incurring the additional $500 is required. 43
Registration Conference registration is allowed. Guest registration cannot be paid on the BTA. Certain events that are available should not be paid for with the BTA. These include, but are not limited to: Sporting events, golf tournaments, soccer tournaments, fun runs, etc. Tours of any kind, i.e., boating tours of Baltimore Harbor; island tours in Seattle; museum tours Block Parties that occur offsite and are not limited to the conference attendees. Amusement park excursions. Clothing, backpacks, souvenirs, etc. 44
Parking and Tolls Tolls are allowed/reimbursed if the vehicle is justified. For example, if a traveler in Fort Smith is taking a rental to Tulsa, the toll fees are allowed, although many rentals will have an express pass. If the vehicle is not justified, we will not reimburse tolls. For example, if a traveler drives to Orlando because they are accompanied by family, we will not reimburse tolls unless ground transportation was more economical, and only for the actual business dates. Airport parking is allowable, as is mileage to and from the official station to the airport (20 mile cap in LR). Airport parking is limited to the most economical one step up from the peanut lot. Currently that is $10/day plus 9% tax. Valet parking, covered parking, etc., are not allowed, as these are conveniences for the employee. 45
Items not reimbursable: Personal entertainment Cleaning Laundry Valet Service (valet parking is only allowed if self-parking is not available) Movies Alcohol Flowers Most printing services (these are reviewed case-by-case) 46
Employee Events Expenses for rental space, decorations, entertainment, or other arrangements in connection with banquets held solely for the benefit of employees are not allowed. 47
Direct Billing Direct billing of expenses should occur through the departmental T-card s. Direct billing of lodging expenses through vendor pay will not be allowed with Workday. 48
Travel Advances For more information about travel advances, please review Admin Guide 8.4.03, Travel Advance Requests. Travel advance requests are not allowed for airfare, registration, lodging, rental, etc., as the BTA can be utilized for most travel expenses. Travel advances for meals are allowed, at 50% of the maximum meal allowance for the event. Meals that are provided by the event are not included in the travel advance calculation. Itemized meal receipts are required, if a travel advance is used. Travel advances are loans to the employee, and any unused portion must be repaid to UAMS within 15 days of their return from travel. 49
Drivers Safety Program All employees who drive for official UAMS business must be enrolled in the Drivers Safety Program AND authorized to drive, regardless of whether they are seeking reimbursement. Please review 11.1.10, Vehicle Driver Safety Program. This is regardless of the type of vehicle they are using UAMS, rental, or personal. If an employee is NOT authorized to drive, they will not be authorized for any driving expense: mileage, rental, parking, tolls. Travelers ARE notified when they are not authorized to drive, so they should not be driving, or submit for reimbursement. 50
