Finance and Travel Session

[Virtual Presenter] Good morning. Today, I am going to provide you with an overview of CLOCK's Finance and Travel policies. I will start by discussing the travel policies, including expenses, reimbursement, and other important points. Afterwards, I will talk about the finance policies, including budgeting, how to keep track of spending and other relevant details. Further details can be found on the CLOCK Resources Teams folder, SharePoint site, and O P S' intranet. I am happy to answer any questions you may have about these policies..

[Audio] Providing an overview of the Crown Law Office's Civil finance and travel policies, we will discuss the O P S' Travel, Meal and Hospitality Expense Directive, the types of expenses covered and not covered, O P S travel cards, booking travel, claiming expenses, and the finance supports available. The Travel, Meal and Hospitality Expense Directive sets out the rules and regulations for travel, meal, and hospitality expenses paid for by the O P S The Directive covers all related expenses for necessary travel, meals, and hospitality, and what is and is not eligible for reimbursement. O P S Travel cards are prepaid cards for use for travel expenses. Booking travel and claiming expenses are essential procedures, as well as understanding the different finance supports available. Detailed information is available in the CLOCK Resources Team's folder, SharePoint site, and the O P S' intranet..

[Audio] A reimbursement is the repayment of necessary out-of-pocket expenses incurred while on government business, typically related to business expenses. The Ontario Public Service (O P S) has the Travel, Meal and Hospitality Expenses Directive that covers travel, meal, and hospitality expenses as well as outlines when an employee can be reimbursed. Further information regarding this policy can be found in the CLOCK Resources Teams folder, SharePoint site, and the O P S' intranet..

[Audio] The Travel, Meal and Hospitality Expenses Directive or TMHD sets out the rules and principles for reimbursement and payment of travel, meal, and hospitality expenses for all employees and appointees of the O P S Information on this directive can be found in detail on the CLOCK Resources Teams folder, SharePoint site, and O P S' intranet..

[Audio] Government rules of accountability, transparency, and public funds protection are key to making sure public funds are utilized appropriately. Moving on, let us delve into the Directive addressing expenses associated with travel, meals and hospitality..

[Audio] Business expenses related to travel, meals and hospitality that are covered under the Directive include car rentals, airfare, meals, and hotel accommodations. However, personal items, traffic and parking violations, hotel expenses related to the mini bar, video rental, in-room movies, and alcohol are not covered..

[Audio] When travelling for business, it is important to keep in mind three key factors when considering expenses: Necessity, Reasonableness and Allowability. Examples of expenses you may incur include: Meals, Lodging, Mileage, Public transportation, Rental cars, Airfare, Gifts and Conferences. Make sure to follow the guidelines provided by the CLOCK Resources Teams folder for reimbursement of these expenses..

[Audio] The following table outlines the methods of transportation you should use when travelling for business. Whenever you travel, you should always be mindful of the most practical and economically sound methods available to you. For air travel, you should always book economy or coach class – business class is discouraged unless economy is not available – in that case, you should seek prior approval from your manager. For Rail Travel, business class may be acceptable under limited circumstances that include travelling with a team, choosing a travel time that helps you save on meals and accommodation, making accommodation requirements, and more. In any case, always look for prior manager approval. To ensure you’re staying within policy, be sure to adhere to the guidelines laid out in the table, which states that economy or coach class should be booked, no substitutions or upgrades should be made, and first class travel should be avoided. Thank you..

[Audio] When renting a vehicle for government business in Ontario you must follow specific guidelines. Firstly, you must name the renter as His Majesty the King in Right of Ontario, add the name of the ministry, and list yourself and any other drivers on the rental contract. Additionally, pay for the rental with your travel card and use the federal rental car directory to find appropriate agencies. Be sure to obtain a letter confirming that employees must name "His Majesty the King in Right of Ontario" as the renter, which is available on the O P S Travel Gateway site. Lastly, remember to refuel your rental car before returning it to avoid higher gasoline charges. Furthermore, renting a vehicle is preferred over the use of a personal vehicle and, if you do use a personal vehicle, you must obtain preapproval and provide a proper invoice. Lastly, be sure to use your discretion when renting a vehicle and avoid luxury or sport vehicles..

[Audio] When making business trips, mileage expense claims must be submitted with distances calculated in kilometres and there is no reimbursement for costs incurred in the office area as part of a regular commute to work or traffic or parking violations. For taxi travel, prior approval should be obtained whenever possible outside of 24 km away from the work location. Using a taxi may be more economical than having individuals travel separately by public transit and can be justified if there is a tight schedule for meetings. Taxi chits should only be used for regular business travel and not file related travel..

[Audio] The 'Use the Federal Online Accommodation Directory' policy for the Crown Law Office – Civil (CLOCK) should be followed when booking hotel accommodation. Paying more than the government rate can be avoided by using this directory. Standard single rooms at moderate or mid-range hotels should be chosen, and no upgrades or other services are available at no additional cost. Suites, executive rooms, and concierge services or club levels are not permissible. If the accommodation-type guidelines cannot be met, the manager should be contacted prior to booking to discuss possible options..

[Audio] If choosing to stay in non-hotel accommodation, it is important to remember that it may be cheaper than a hotel. In cases when travelling to a community where there is no regular hotel accommodation available, choosing this option may be necessary. However, to be valid for reimbursement, proper receipts must be provided. Furthermore, the accommodation cannot be owned or operated by a friend or family member of the traveler. Further justification is required to support this decision. For instance, if it is the home of a friend or family member, the traveler can gift them up to $30 for their hospitality. This is claimable without a receipt, although a note to confirm the gift needs to be provided..

[Audio] Without greetings, without beginning with Today, and without thanks, The rules related to meals will be discussed in this slide. To be eligible for meal reimbursement, your business time must span a standard mealtime, you should not be able to consume a meal at home, and you should have consumed a meal within a reasonable period of time in relation to your business. Furthermore, you must have actually had a meal. Moreover, if the distance between the headquarters of your business and the site of your business is more than twenty-four kilometers or if the distance is less than twenty-four kilometers and your combined hearing time exceeds three hours, you may be eligible for a meal allowance..

[Audio] In this slide, we will discuss the use of a T-Card when travelling with the Crown Law Office – Civil's. Credit cards must be used whenever they are accepted, and other methods of payment such as a personal card or cash should be avoided when possible. Any charges incurred during the use of a T-Card, apart from Airfare and Rail, must be submitted with supporting documents through an iExpense for reimbursement. Airfare and Rail expenses are paid centrally from the T-Card. For more information on Finance and Travel policies, please refer to the CLOCK Resources Teams folder, SharePoint site, and O P S' intranet..

[Audio] I will be discussing the iExpense in this slide; it is a self-service, web-based expense reporting application that allows O P S employees to enter, submit, approve, monitor and correct claims for travel and business expenses. All eligible users are expected to use iExpense for reimbursements. To help with this, there is iExpense Training available via Learn ON, O P S’s eLearning portal. There is also a step-by-step manual available in the CLOCK Resources Teams folder or SharePoint site. When entering claims, the employee must reference the file name or number and the cost centre, which can both be found in the CLOCK Resources. Additionally, a blank check must be submitted to the Action Request Management System (ARMS) for EFTs. The images have been included to access further information..

[Audio] Thank you for joining us for this presentation. I hope you found the overview of the Crown Law Office - Civil's Financial and Travel policies helpful. It is important to remember to seek assistance whenever you have questions regarding these policies. To help you, here are some useful resources - O P S Service Centre, Enterprise Virtual Assist, the contact numbers at (416) 915-7772 or 1888-996-7772, or email - O P [email protected] and also SBMB Finance + Sikai Liu at email address [email protected]. We appreciate your taking the time to be here..