Written by Ruthie Fairbanks.

We are excited to announce several important updates to the Travel Manual, which are designed to make the travel process clearer, more efficient and easier to follow for all employees.

Key Highlights:

• New Format and Structure: We’ve reorganized the manual into clearly defined chapters to distinguish between the Travel Authorization and Travel Reimbursement processes, making it easier to locate information.
• Defined Roles and Responsibilities: The manual now includes clearly outlined roles for travelers, initiators and approvers, ensuring everyone understands their responsibilities within the travel authorization and reimbursement process.
• Guidance for Personal Travel: We’ve added detailed instructions for how to manage situations where personal travel is combined with business travel, including step-by-step guidance and screenshots for obtaining compliant cost comparisons.
• Receipt Requirements: Examples of acceptable receipts alongside detailed breakdowns of receipt item requirements are now included to help ensure submissions meet policy and procedural standards. Additionally, a new Missing Receipt Form has been created to document expenses when an original receipt is unavailable.
• Excess Lodging Documentation: The updated manual defines what qualifies as excess lodging and specifies the exact documentation required to support these requests.
• Mileage Reimbursement Updates: Expanded information for employees who use personal vehicles for business travel. This includes clarification on when reimbursement is permitted and introduces a new mileage reimbursement cap when using a personal vehicle, which waives the requirement for comparisons for round-trips below 500 miles. 

These updates are part of our ongoing effort to improve clarity, consistency and compliance in travel-related processes. We encourage all employees to review the updated Travel Manual to familiarize themselves with the new guidance and requirements.