GFT Travel Fund Guidelines
| Policies | |
| Policy: | GFT Travel Fund Guidelines |
| Policy Nr: | Sec 08 - 01 |
| Target Review Date: | 2019-04-25 |
| Main Stakeholder: | Managing Director |
This article explains what GFT members can travel for, and how to get reimbursed, if using the UMG Practice Plan funds.
The department will always apply for the Dean's Travel Fund first, when appropriate, on behalf of the faculty member. See Dean's Travel Fund.
Members should not book travel until they have received preauthorization to ensure the correct process is followed for use of the approved travel fund.
Contents
Purpose
Academic faculty study, research, discover, innovate, teach, learn and provide patient care. To support the activities of academic faculty, the department will provide funds for required travel.
Allowable Reasons for Travel
- Reimbursement of travel expenses will be provided to GFT faculty members and Postgraduate Program Directors for teaching administration activities including Royal College and post-graduate training meetings.
- Reimbursement of travel expenses will be provided to GFT faculty members to scientific meetings/conference where the individual is presenting on invited papers.
- Reimbursement of travel expenses will be provided to GFT faculty members for administration activities undertaken on behalf of the department, at the request of the Department Head.
Funding
The department will support up to $2,000 per GFT faculty members, annually (January-December).
- There will be no carryover of expenses for subsequent travel.
- There will be no carryover of expenses of funds from one year to another.
Application
A full-time academic faculty must apply in writing using this Travel Preauthorization Form.xls and submit expenses using this UMG Travel Submission Form.xls within 30 days of travel to the Travel Coordinator as well as the Agenda from the conference and/or meeting.
Applications must be accompanied by the conference or meeting program which clearly identifies the GFT member as a presenter. If the program is not yet available, the invitation to present (e-mail or letter) is also acceptable.
Reimbursable and Non-Reimbursable Expenses
| Expense | Y/N | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Academic gowns and tuxedo rentals | Yes | Required for University business |
| Airfare | Yes | up to "Flex" fares |
| Air Miles | No | Not reimbursable for airfare paid using air miles which the traveler has accumulated |
| Alcoholic Beverages | Yes | Allowable as part of a hospitality claim. |
| Baggage Excess | Yes | |
| Conference Activities | No | Extra-curricular and activities for guests or partners are not reimbursable. |
| Conference Registration Fees | Yes | Provide proof of payment (deduct personal expenses) |
| Donations | No | N/A |
| Employment visas for visitors | No | Considered personal expenses |
| Entertainment/Hospitality expenses for non-faculty/University-associated persons | No | See Hospitality expenses policy |
| Gas for commercial rental vehicles | Yes | Provided the vehicle rental is approved. |
| Gifts | No | Purchase of gifts for staff or their families will not be reimbursed |
| Gifts | Yes | For visitors in lieu of honorarium |
| Gratuities | Yes | Included in the meal rate (also within reason) |
| Health Club access | No | |
| Hotel Room Charges | Yes | Reasonable room rates and taxes only. Members are encouraged to request hotel folios separating room charges from incidental charges, for faster processing of expenses. |
| Hotel "No Show" Charges | No | Except in emergency situations as determined by approving authority |
| Inoculations/Vaccinations | Yes | If required for international travel only |
| Insurance - Flight Cancellation | Yes | |
| Insurance - Health | No | For full-time staff only. Supplementary health insurance provided by the University |
| Insurance - Health | Yes | Part-time and non-employees (contact Staff Benefits) |
| Insurance - Rental Vehicle* | Yes | Staff are encouraged to use the University Travel Credit Card and waive the insurance from the rental company. Claimants booking without the Travel Credit Card must obtain car rental insurance- MPI is an economical way of doing this. |
| Internet access | Yes | At hotels, or local SIM cards for cell phones, when traveling outside Canada and the USA |
| Laundry | No | Personal expense |
| Living Expenses during Sabbatical | No | Personal expense |
| Meals | Yes | Maximum per diem rate - see #Meals |
| Memberships Fees | No | Personal memberships in clubs not reimbursable |
| Mileage claim | Yes | Will not exceed the equivalent to the lowest cost of airfare (if extenuating circumstances, provide explanation) |
| Mini-bar charges | No | In room mini-bar beverages and snacks will not be reimbursed |
| Movies, in flight/room | No | N/A |
| Parking Fees | Yes | Reasonable. Parking fees and mileage reimbursement should not exceed the cost of round trip taxi fare from the traveler's home. |
| Parking/Traffic Fines | No | N/A |
| Passport | No | Personal expense |
| Penalties for airfare change or cancellation | Yes | |
| Per Diem Allowance | Yes | Maximum per diem rate - see #Meals |
| Personal vehicle | Yes | #Personal vehicle |
| Seat Assignments | Yes | |
| Service fees | No | Reimbursement not provided for failure to cancel lodging or transportation reservation |
| Taxi fares/ride sharing | Yes | Reasonable; not to exceed cost of vehicle rental |
| Telephone calls | Yes | For University business. Other calls at department discretion. |
| Traffic fines | No | |
| Train/Rail transportation | Yes | Club car accommodations are acceptable for day trips. If overnight travel is necessary, roomette class accommodations may be used. |
| Travel incidentals | Yes | Within reasonable limitations (provide explanation on Travel Claim) |
| VISAs | Yes | When required to enter a country to enable a staff member to conduct University business. |
Meals
Per diem rates are considered reasonable, and in alignment with the University of Manitoba, and can be claimed without receipts.
- Per diem Allowance – instead of being reimbursed for actual costs, a daily allowance is provided.
- No additional amount may be claimed for meals. Actual costs (meals with receipts) will not be accepted. Faculty are free to spend additionally using personal funds - however the daily reimbursement will be the per diem rate.
- The per diem allowance must be adjusted when meals are included in conference registration fees, in the event of a partial day’s travel, etc.
- The maximum per diem allowance for meals when travelling:
| Total per diem | Breakfast | Lunch | Supper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada $60 | $15 | $15 | $30 |
| USA/Africa $80 | $20 | $20 | $40 |
| Asia/Latin America/Oceania $90 | $20 | $20 | $50 |
| Europe/Caribbean $110 | $25 | $25 | $60 |
Personal vehicle
- The current allowance for use of personal automobile while on approved business see Mileage.
- Use of private automobiles should be limited to those trips where no suitable public transportation is available or where a private automobile is more economical considering all costs. For long distance trips when a private automobile is used strictly for personal convenience, only actual costs (for example, kilometres driven, hotels, meals, etc.) for the time spent traveling will be reimbursed up to but not exceeding the costs of equivalent public transportation such as lowest cost airfare and transportation costs to and from the airports. All instances of the use of private automobiles must include a lowest cost airfare quote from Concur prior to departure attached to the claimant’s claim.
- Only incremental kilometres driven above the distance from residence to normal work location may be claimed.
- Transportation to a claimant’s normal work location may not be claimed, except where the claimant has been called back to work outside of their normal work schedule and requires an additional trip.
- Each trip must be reported on a separate line in the claim.
Reimbursement
Reimbursements to members of the Department of Internal Medicine will be made by direct deposit and not by cheque. Identify if they want the reimbursement to be done to a personal account or corporate account. If nothing is specified they will be reimbursed to the same account they receive UMG draws from. Members will know what this means. Deposits are sent from UMG to the bank on Tuesdays. Reimbursements will be processed on the Tuesday following submission if there are no questions or concerns that need to be addressed regarding the submission.
Submission of receipts must be in within 60 days of travel - except at Fiscal year end when all claims from the prior year must be submitted by January 15th.
- For foreign currency transactions, provide credit card statements, if not, conversion will be done on date of transaction using https://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/
Other Notes
There is no mandatory method of booking GFT Travel, members can use any method they are comfortable with, be it directly with airlines/hotels or via a travel agency.
Concur
Travel involving the Dean's Travel Fund is required to use Concur.
GFT travel paid from the overhead/practice plan does not use Concur
Related Processes
Travel Coordinator Process for GFT Travel
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