Thanatos340 1 #1 April 3, 2009 I guess I am pretty lucky.. MY companies basic rule on Travel expenses is "Dont be Stupid". We had a Training Class this week and the attendees (from several different Companies) were all discussing some of their own employers stupid Travel Policies.. One (Large County Government Employee) said they were not reimbursed for Tips on meals. The meals are covered but any Tip is not. Another said Travel time was not covered. They had to use personal VACATION time to get back to California from Atlanta. Another had 2 layovers going back to San Francisco from Atlanta because the Non-stop was $10 more expensive and the company would only pay the Lowest possible fare. They would not even let them personally pay the difference. Any of you work for companies that have ridiculous and/or stupid travel policies like this? Lets hear em. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrwrong 0 #2 April 3, 2009 I work for the Swedish branch of a German based MedTech company. The only downside to our travel policy is the same as this one you wrote about. Quote One (Large County Government Employee) said they were not reimbursed for Tips on meals. The meals are covered but any Tip is not. But this really not a policy issue, the stupid Swedish tax laws have put a stop to "tip reimbursement" Then the economy people are constantly bugging us to buy the cheapest possible flight tickets. And that usually ends up in being more costly in the end since those tickets aren't possible to change/reschedule. You miss a flight, you buy a new ticket *sigh* Otherwise it just fine.... “The sum of intelligence on the planet is a constant; the population is growing.” - George Bernard Shaw He who dies with the most toys, wins..... dudeist skydiver # 19515 Buy quality and cry once! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos340 1 #3 April 3, 2009 I thought of another Stupid Travel Policy from a company I used to work for.. We were not allowed to stay in Hotels that had a Bar. It was actually a Departmental rule more than a Company Rule. The Engineering Staff could only stay in Hampton Inns or equivalent that did not have a Bar because too many of them were becoming alcoholics.That just meant that we had to drive back to our hotels after our Status meeting at the next closest bar. I had folders full of Plans and Changes and new designs on Bar Napkins for that project. The filing system was great though, What bar were at when we came up with that idea?? Look for the bar napkins from that bar and that would be the latest revision. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrwrong 0 #4 April 3, 2009 That's gotta be one of the most stupid rules ever!!!!! And useless as well!!! “The sum of intelligence on the planet is a constant; the population is growing.” - George Bernard Shaw He who dies with the most toys, wins..... dudeist skydiver # 19515 Buy quality and cry once! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 24 #5 April 3, 2009 Quote We were not allowed to stay in Hotels that had a Bar. I think my boss would fire me if I booked a hotel that didnt have a bar! lol My current company has 1 weird rule: no business class flights, at all, for anyone (even the CEO). And we're a global company, with lots of travel between NA, OZ, and South America. That being said, the thinking behind the policy is spend the money you would have spent on a business class ticket and stay at a nice hotel, and take the customers out. I have seen some _really_ big entertainment bills! Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icon134 0 #6 April 3, 2009 we actually reciently recieved an email from our boss that asked that people should only order plane tickets through the official (I work for the government) channels in order to reduce the liability of the individuals. I guess people were trying to get the "best" prices... unfortunately the best price isn't always the least expensive when travel needs change (as they can when traveling for business)... for example my brothers company is all about getting my brother home sooner then later because as a professional Civil engineer his hourly rate is not low... so if his job is cut short and he can return 8-10 hours earlier by changing his flight at the last minute... then that saves the customer a hefty chunk of money... and he can work on something else in the 8-10 hours that it saves... as for food... I'm just glad that I get a Per diem rate and don't have to worry about collecting/keep track of reciepts... of course I do usually keep track of them when I travel since I usually use my business CC when I travel and I can get reimbursed through the govt system...Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #7 April 3, 2009 I was at a company where they insisted that you HAD to spend the $25 per day for meals. I was out running around once, and ate fast food for the day, coming in at under the $25 allowance. My expense report, with receipts provided, was rejected, because I only spent $15 on food that day. They insisted that I change the total to $25, unsupported by receipts. This was for a company that was doing government contracts, and subject to government audits. I refused to change my report to claim more money than I actually spent. The boss got really pissed-off. But I never heard anything more. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #8 April 3, 2009 Quote We were not allowed to stay in Hotels that had a Bar. Yeah, that's pretty dumb. Most of the places I've worked *officially* won't reimburse for alcohol with meals, but unofficially as long as your total charges are within reason no one needs the itemized bill so a couple beers with dinner never killed anyone. And of course, you're aware of the company I worked for that priced out its contracts so low that its employees would be stuck in non-pedestrian friendly areas (like, say, Atlanta ) without a rental car (because there wasn't room in the budget, of course ) and would have to rely on the kindness of their friends or the stupid hotel shuttle van to go anywhere."There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #9 April 4, 2009 My company won't pay me if I land in the aircraft! What do you think of that? ---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mwabd1 0 #10 April 4, 2009 My company has very strict travel polices but given the fact that I travel A LOT I have the freedom to book my own trips (not using the companys travel agency) and pick my own hotels, etc........I hereby reject your reality and instead choose to insert my own! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonstark 8 #11 April 4, 2009 The sales guys would always stay in the big fancy hotels in the center of town. I had to join them from time to time and found it a terrific waste of time and money for my needs. I needed to be near the airports and often drove in my RV, stayed at Motel 6 or even stayed in the RV on the airport. We had a guy check into a motel and prepay for a month. He then checked out with the prepaid receipt. He started to submit meal receipts from the same receipt pad and in consecutive order. The secretary called him at the hotel and when they said he had checked out... He got the axe about as fast as I have ever seen happen. The owner of the company's wife started a travel company. All of our travel arrangements were to be made by them. It was a goat rope from the git-go and cost us far more than if we made them ourselves. Thankfully they got divorced. For awhile we weren't allowed to keep airline miles for ourselves if the company bought the ticket. Depending on how the government rated the country I lived in as far as danger or cost of living and the syntax of figuring out what I was due then adding it all up there were ways of making it very very appealing to take on some pretty hairy travel situations. I had one boss who could get me a lot more money for a given situation than it would actually cost because he understood the hardships I would probably be subjected to. Official travel policy be damned. jon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #12 April 4, 2009 If I travel for a company, I expect to be looked after to a standard equal to that that I would at home. I don't take the piss and won't let them take the piss out of me either. I won't stay in scum-bag hotels, I will charge for proper meals (nothing flash but I'm not living off shite to save them money) and I NEVER travel in my own time. If they need me to be somewhere on a Monday morning they are going to have to pay me over time and put me up in a hotel Sunday night. (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Morrison79 0 #13 April 6, 2009 I normally travel for 3 weeks out of the month. Typically fly out Monday and return on Friday. A few years ago I got in trouble for taking Red Eye flights home on Thursday, instead of flying home Friday. I would just go home and not show up Friday. Apparantly the company thinks that I should come in on Friday even though I spent all of early Friday morning on a flight. It's worked out now but for a while it was a big arguement. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
