synthetic_policies/corporate_travel_policy.md

FIN-POL-015: Corporate Travel Policy

Effective Date: 2025-02-25 Revision: 1.1 Owner: Finance Department

1. Purpose

This policy outlines the procedures and guidelines for approved business-related travel to ensure safety, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency.

2. Booking Procedures

• Travel Authorization: All travel must be approved in advance by the employee's manager.
• Booking Channel: All airfare, lodging, and rental cars must be booked through our corporate travel portal, TripActions. This ensures access to company discounts and facilitates duty of care.
• Airfare: Flights must be booked in economy class. Business class is permissible for international flights longer than 8 hours, with VP approval. Flights should be booked at least 14 days in advance to secure better pricing.
• Lodging: Hotel stays should be booked at mid-range, business-appropriate hotels. The nightly rate should not exceed $250 in major metropolitan areas ($350 in high-cost cities like NYC and SF).
• Ground Transportation: Use ride-sharing services (Uber, Lyft) or rental cars from our preferred vendors (Hertz, National). Luxury vehicle rentals are not permitted.

3. Expenses and Per Diem

• Per Diem Allowances: While traveling on company business, employees are eligible for a per diem of $75 per day ($100 for international travel) to cover meals and incidentals. This per diem replaces the need to submit individual meal receipts.
• Client Meals: If you take a client out for a meal while traveling, that specific meal can be expensed separately, and you should not claim the per diem for that meal's time (e.g., dinner). See Expense Reimbursement Policy (FIN-POL-014).

4. International Travel

• Approval: International travel requires approval from a department head at least 30 days in advance.
• Documentation: Employees are responsible for ensuring their passports and any necessary visas are valid and obtained in a timely manner.
• Safety: Employees traveling internationally should register their trip with our travel security partner, International SOS.

5. Use of Personal Vehicles

• For safety and liability reasons, the use of personal vehicles for long-distance business travel (over 200 miles round trip) is discouraged.
• If a personal vehicle is used, reimbursement will be at the current IRS mileage rate. The company's insurance does not cover the use of personal vehicles for business.

6. Related Policies

• Expense Reimbursement Policy (FIN-POL-014)
• Remote Work Policy (HR-POL-003)

7. Revision History

• v1.1 (2025-10-12): Added details on booking channels, travel authorization, and international travel safety.
• v1.0 (2025-02-25): Initial version.