Congratulations to Kay Geibel for being the first person to answer Friday’s trivia question correctly!
Friday’s question concerned travel by USO employees.
Which one of the following statement(s) are true?
- Employees must have written authorization in advance from the Chancellor or designee to attend trainings and conferences paid for by vendors.
- Prior approval is required for lodging that is within 50 miles of home or work.
- Expenses related to vacation or personal days taken before, during or after a business trip are NOT reimbursable.
- Combining personal travel with State business travel must not result in increased expense to the State.
- All of the above.
Correct Answer: E. All of the above.
In accordance with the BOR Gratuities policy, employees must obtain approval from the Chancellor or designee before a vendor can pay the actual and reasonable expenses for food, beverages, travel, lodging or registration provided to permit participation in a meeting, demonstration, or training related to official or professional duties. For employees who work at the University System Office, the designated approver is Dr. John Fuchko, III.
Additionally, in accordance with the USG and State Travel Policy, travelers on State business are allowed lodging expenses when their destination is located more than 50 miles from both their Primary Work Site and Residence. Written pre-approval must be obtained from the agency head, or their designee, when lodging is required within this 50-mile radius. The approval must be submitted with the traveler’s receipts when requesting reimbursement.
Additionally, in accordance with State law and USG policies, an employee cannot be reimbursed for expenses or provided with per diem payments for personal days taken before, during or after business travel. Finally, combining personal travel with State business travel must not result in increased expense to the State.
If you have questions about USG Travel policies, you should feel free to ask your supervisor, USG Business Services or the USG Office of Ethics and Compliance. (https://www.usg.edu/organizational_effectiveness/ethics_compliance).
Additional information is provided in the Business Procedures Manual in Section 4.0 Travel: https://www.usg.edu/business_procedures_manual/section4/C1170 and the State Travel Policy: https://sao.georgia.gov/travel/state-travel-policy
Also attached for your reference is the USG’s Travel Pocket Reference Guide.