AP 536: Expense Reimbursement
Business & Finance
Division employees who incur expenses in carrying out their authorized duties shall be reimbursed by the Division upon submission of a properly completed and approved expense claim with such supporting receipts as may be required. Such expenses shall be within budgetary allocations for the specific type of expense.
Definitions
a) Business travel: shall refer to meetings with external parties, and associated costs, including travel, meals, parking, and/or similar costs.
b) Corporate Events: shall refer to activities or events, planned in the course of conducting Division business, and may occur in a facility external to the Division when larger capacities need to be accommodated or where alternative facilities are more practical, given the nature of the event, excluding a commercial eating establishment.
c) Professional Development: shall refer to formal courses, conferences, seminars and other professional learning events and associated costs including registration, travel, airfare, accommodations, meals, etc.
d) Working sessions: shall refer to any event where a claimant incurs a non-travel meal expense at a commercial eating establishment while in the course of conducting Division business.
Procedures
With respect to travel and mileage:
1. Employees, who travel on Division approved business, are expected to consider the cost effectiveness of their travel; and
1.1. Employees are to utilize the most economical and time effective means of transportation.
2. When two or more employees travel to the same event, it is highly recommended that employees shall utilize carpooling to reduce costs and environmental impact.
3. Employees travelling away from the office on Division business shall receive prior approval from their immediate supervisor.
4. Employees travelling outside of Canada, on Division business, shall receive prior approval from their immediate supervisor and the Superintendent.
5. Employees using their own vehicles for Division business are eligible to be compensated for travel, at a rate determined annually by the Board, and as disclosed in Schedule 536A, notably:
5.1. Travel shall be charged from the departure point to the destination point and return;
5.2. Travel shall not be charged for coming to one’s usual workplace to commence employment for the day or for going home from the workplace;
5.3. Effective September 1st, 2022, the rate shall be based on the Canada Revenue Agency rate for reasonable per-kilometre allowance; notably:
5.3.1. The rate applied to all mileage shall be the Canada Revenue rate for mileage exceeding 5,000 km, regardless of the cumulative distance traveled;
5.3.2. The Associate Superintendent, Corporate Supports and Services shall review the Canada Revenue Agency mileage rate annually;
5.3.3. Schedule 536A shall be adjusted, as necessary to do so, prior to September 1 of each year; and
5.3.4. Mileage expenses shall be remunerated according to the mileage rate of Schedule 536A at the time that the mileage occurred.
6. If the nature of one’s employment causes an employee to work at more than one (1) location during the day, the employee shall be eligible for travel incurred when travelling between locations.
7. In the event of a night or weekend meeting travel is not to be charged from the Division Office to the destination, unless the individual leaves the Division Office and goes directly to the meeting; notably:
7.1. If the employee travels directly to the meeting from home, travel is to be charged from home to the meeting site and return.
7.2. If the employee travels to a meeting or site which is on their way to work or on their way home from work, the employee is entitled to charge only for the distance incurred beyond the normal commuting distance.
With respect to travelling expenses:
8. Employees may claim the following travelling expenses incurred while travelling on Division business as long as claimed expenses are reasonable and would withstand public scrutiny:
8.1. Accommodation;
8.2. Hotel WI-FI charges;
8.3. Airfare;
8.4. Automobile rental;
8.5. Fuel for rental vehicle;
8.6. Rail or bus fare, if applicable;
8.7. Airline baggage fees when charged by the airline;
8.8. Taxi fares and transit fares;
8.9. Parking; and/or
8.10. Meal per diem allowances or actual meal receipts when meals are not included in the conference.
9. Meal expenses shall be reimbursed to the employee, at the established meal rates, as disclosed in Schedule 536 A or, alternatively, at the value of the actual meal provided the actual expenses are reasonable and would withstand public scrutiny.
10. The itemized meal receipts (generic till or credit card receipts are not acceptable) shall clearly detail the following:
10.1. The purpose of the meeting/attended event requiring the meal; and
10.2. The names of individuals receiving the meal.
11. Alcohol shall not be claimed and shall not be reimbursed or paid for from Division managed funds as part of travel, food service, working session or corporate events unless approved as per Administrative Procedure 530 – Procurement (s. 29).
12. Employees travelling outside of Canada are required to arrange for a roaming package on Division owned devices if the device is required and approved by their immediate supervisor.
12.1. Employees are encouraged to maximize complimentary WI-FI wherever possible.
13. Employees may claim the costs for an appropriate roaming package added to their personal owned devices for travel outside of Canada when required by the Division and at reasonable rates.
14. Airline travel costs shall be reimbursed at the most economical rate class available at the time of booking.
15. Arrangement for accommodation shall be made in the cost-effective manner.
With respect to other expense reimbursement procedures:
16. The Division shall only pay for expenses that are business related;
16.1. When combining business travel with vacation, employees are responsible for all incremental costs associated with the personal component of the trip.
16.2. Employees who are required to incur business related expenses and have been issued a purchasing card shall charge allowable business expenses to the card where feasible.
16.3. Business related expenses that need to reimbursed shall be submitted using the Employee Expense Claim Form via Employee Self-Service (available on Division website).
16.4. Expense claims shall be submitted at a minimum on a quarterly basis for the fiscal year in which such expenses were incurred.
17. Total expense reimbursements for all Trustees, the Superintendent and the Associate Superintendent, Corporate Supports and Services are published in the audited financial statements annually; and
17.1. Expenses claims for Trustees, for the Superintendent and for the Associate Superintendent, Corporate Supports and Services are posted quarterly on the Division website.
18. All employees are advised that expense reimbursements may become a matter of public record.
With respect to lost receipts:
19. Prior to filling out a Lost Receipt Declaration Form, the employee shall make every attempt possible to obtain a replacement receipt.
20. In rare cases where the replacement receipt is not available, the employee shall fill out a Lost Receipt Declaration Form that is signed by the employee and Site Supervisor (Principal/Director).
21. It is at the Principal’s discretion to accept or decline a lost receipt declaration;
21.1. A declined lost receipt declaration shall require the employee to reimburse the Division for expenditures at the value of the receipt.
