TRAVELLING FOR WORK POLICY - March 2019 | Version 2 - NZ Transport Agency
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TRAVELLING FOR WORK POLICY March 2019 | Version 2 Policy name: Travelling for work policy Date of issue: March 2019 Policy author: Manager, Standards & Practice Next review: March 2021 Policy owner: Senior Manager, Business Support Policy sponsor: General Manager Corporate Services
Document management plan
Signed off by policy owner Senior Manager, Business Support, 14 February 2019
Signed off by policy sponsor General Manager Corporate Services, 15 February 2019
Signed off by Board 18 March 2019
Business Support managers; Senior Financial Officer; Principal
Review group
Advisor Protective Security; Senior Risk Assurance Advisor
Policy lifecycle This policy is to be reviewed every two years
Keywords
Travel, international, domestic, accommodation, meals, transport, flights, booking, taxis, rental cars, hotels, small
passenger services, Uber, Zoomy, insurance
Change record
Version Description of change Date Updated by
Initial draft, based on old Travelling for work policy and Penny Johnson and
1.1 15/10/2018
new Sensitive expenditure policy Helen Rickerby
Revisions based on feedback from Leanne Hartshorne,
1.2 27/11/2018 Helen Rickerby
Business Support managers and Finance
1.3 Changes based on feedback from Lizette Marais 24/1/2019 Helen Rickerby
Leanne Hartshorne and
1.4 Changes based on feedback from Howard Cattermole 20/2/2019
Helen Rickerby
Amendments based on feedback from the Transport
1.5 20/3/2019 Helen Rickerby
Agency Board
2 Published 3/4/2019 Helen Rickerby
Policy name: Travelling for work policy 2 of 7
Date of issue: March 2019Purpose
This policy sets out the rules and responsibilities for all staff when travelling on behalf of the NZ Transport Agency.
Scope
This policy applies to all Transport Agency employees, including permanent staff members (full-time and part-time),
temporary staff and contractors. This policy must be read in conjunction with the Sensitive expenditure policy.
Definition of terms
Sensitive expenditure is expenditure that has the potential to be perceived as providing a private benefit to an
individual staff member in addition to the business benefit to the Transport Agency. It also includes expenditure that
could be considered unusual for the Transport Agency’s purpose and/or functions.
One-up principle in financial delegations means that delegation holders cannot approve transactions involving
themselves or from which they could be seen to benefit, instead they must be approved by their one-up manager.
Actual and reasonable expenditure: 'Actual' refers to expenditure that:
• can be clearly shown to be work-related, and
• has itemised receipts (GST receipts) to support any claim, that but for the travel, would not otherwise have
been incurred.
Managers need to define a 'reasonable' level of expenditure by considering the following:
• Whether the expenditure supports the objectives of the Transport Agency?
• Could the Transport Agency confidently justify the expenditure?
Key principles
• The safety and security of our people while travelling on Transport Agency business is paramount.
• We travel in ways that are cost-effective and suitable for the job we are doing, and we should only travel
when necessary. We consider alternatives to travel, such as video conferencing, and we encourage the use
of public transport, where practicable.
• We choose low-emission transport options, such as electric vehicles, where practicable.
• All aspects of travel, apart from taxis and pool vehicles, must be booked through travel coordinators,
including rental cars, domestic and international flights and accommodation.
• All travel bookings must be booked using the Transport Agency’s agreed suppliers.
• Travel coordinators must not book travel involving themselves.
• All travel expenditure must follow the rules and principles set out in the Sensitive expenditure policy.
Key accountabilities and responsibilities
Staff who need to travel
• If it is necessary for you to travel for work, you will need to:
1. Follow the principles in this policy when deciding if expenditure is appropriate.
2. Get approval from your one-up manager, when travel isn’t a normal part of your role and clarify your
expenditure levels.
3. For international travel, complete a business case for international travel bid, which must be approved
by the Chief Executive and the Board Chair (see Overseas travel, below).
4. Request travel to be booked through your office travel coordinator. Travel coordinators will complete
travel bookings, following agreed booking procedures.
5. Make sure all travel expenditure is correctly coded and appropriate supporting documentation such as
invoices, are filed, and all sensitive expenditure claims are made promptly.
Policy name: Travelling for work policy 3 of 7
Date of issue: March 2019• You must not incur excess baggage expense, except where travelling with heavy or bulky items necessary
for business purposes or medical reasons.
• Consider the cost of change when making changes to flights or hotels. We are charged fees to change
flights through our travel provider, even if the fare does not change or is of lesser value.
• Where possible, book your travel well in advance to ensure reasonable expenditure. Consider flexi-fare
flights if you think you might need flexibility with travel dates or times.
• If you do need to change your travel arrangements, contact your travel coordinator in the first instance.
Outside core business hours, use the 24-hour services provided by APX (flights and accommodation) or the
Air NZ Government Support Centre (flights only), as soon as possible. Details of the 24-hour services will be
on your electronic ticket document.
Managers
Managers must ensure that:
• before they approve any travel expenditure, they are satisfied that there is a justified business purpose, that
they have the budget to pay for it, and that the standards, principles and requirements in this policy and any
other relevant policy are met
• all approved travel expenditure uses the one-up principle
• for international travel, a business case is prepared and submitted to the Chief Executive for approval, and,
if travel is approved, the traveller is briefed on security risks by the Principal Advisor Protective Security
• there is appropriate budget and they have delegated authority to approve it
• the correct expenditure coding is used
• all supporting documents are filed
• explanations are documented for any expenditure that could appear unusual.
Travel coordinators
Travel coordinators must:
• ensure travel arrangements are booked following the Travel booking procedures
• not book travel involving themselves – another travel coordinator must make the bookings for them.
Accommodation
• Refer to the Sensitive expenditure policy – ‘Work-related travel expenditure’.
• Hotel accommodation must be booked through travel coordinators, and using approved preferred supplier
hotels, with which we have agreed rates and duty of care arrangements.
• It is only acceptable for family to share accommodation with you that has been booked and paid for by the
Transport Agency for business purposes where it incurs no additional cost to the Transport Agency.
• If you choose to stay in private accommodation, no allowance will be paid for accommodation. There are
two options for claiming costs and you should discuss them with your manager first:
o actual and reasonable costs of taking the host to a meal, or purchasing food to contribute to a meal at
the host residence, can be claimed up to the value of $50 or
o a gift to the value of up to $50 as above may be given. Alcohol is not to be given as a gift.
You need to certify this expenditure was incurred when you claim these expenses, so you should keep GST
receipts and ensure that this payment is coded correctly, as fringe benefit tax is a factor in these payments.
Meals
• Refer to the Sensitive expenditure policy – ‘Work-related travel expenditure’.
Frequent flyers
• Refer to the Sensitive expenditure policy – ‘Work-related travel expenditure’.
Overseas travel
• Managers must submit business cases, endorsed by their General Managers for international travel bids to
the Chief Executive, which must be approved by the Chief Executive and the Board Chair before the travel
takes place. Information required in the travel business case:
Policy name: Travelling for work policy 4 of 7
Date of issue: March 2019o purpose of the travel and the role of the traveller at the meeting/event
o a summary of benefits
o destinations
o travel dates
o business days absent from New Zealand
o number of people travelling (including their names and job titles)
o total travel and accommodation costs.
• Travel by premium economy or business class is at the Chief Executive’s discretion, and may be
appropriate when the total flying time includes at least one long haul of more than five hours.
• For overseas travel we use the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade per diem rates as a guide to the
acceptable maximum daily cost of accommodation, meals and other costs. The rates can be found on the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.
• The Overseas travel application form must be completed to confirm funding availability. Finance will provide
advice on how to prepare a return for overseas expenditure which will require you to provide the supporting
documents, return any surplus cash, and complete your final claim within 10 working days of your return to
New Zealand.
• The exchange rate charged for foreign currency cash advances will be used to convert overseas expenses
to New Zealand currency. The cost of exchange rate loss can be claimed with expenses. See Finance for
more advice about requesting foreign currency.
• Tipping is expected in some countries. The Transport Agency will meet the cost of actual and reasonable
tipping that is in line with local practice. (The Transport Agency will not meet the cost of tipping in New
Zealand.)
• When you travel overseas on business, the Transport Agency will meet relevant additional costs, such as
visas and entry requirements, inoculations or getting a passport for the first time. You can claim the cost of
any exchange rate losses personally incurred.
• Except where prior approval has been obtained, all costs incurred by non-employees accompanying you on
official business must be paid as personal expenses and not charged to the Transport Agency.
• There may be some circumstances where the presence of a partner is appropriate and the Transport
Agency may be prepared to meet all, or part of, the cost of representation. In such cases:
o the Chief Executive’s approval is required for a partner to accompany you at the Transport Agency’s
expense
o applications must be submitted through your general manager
o non-employees are not permitted to use Transport Agency or all-of-government discounts when
accompanying staff, unless approved by the Chief Executive.
Personal overseas travel
• You may schedule some annual leave during an overseas business trip. In such cases, prior arrangements
must be made as follows:
o Chief Executive approval is required for general managers
o general manager approval is required for all other employees
o you should obtain the necessary approvals, in writing, before travel arrangements are made
o you will meet all expenditure for the period of annual leave.
• People taking a private trip overseas may elect to attend other events, eg conferences, training, or other
work-related activities. In such cases, with prior approval, the Transport Agency:
o will pay actual and reasonable costs for you to travel from your holiday destination to the venue
o will pay for actual and reasonable travel-related costs incurred while attending the conference or doing
work-related activities.
• The costs to the Transport Agency must not exceed the cost that would have been incurred had there been
no personal travel.
• You must book any private component of travel separately from corporate travel. No private component of
travel is to appear on any Transport Agency itinerary.
• You must not use all-of-government or preferred-supplier discounts for personal travel.
Policy name: Travelling for work policy 5 of 7
Date of issue: March 2019Travel insurance
• Our insurance automatically covers all overseas business travel anywhere in the world. Before you leave,
email finance@nzta.govt.nz to request a travel card with the Transport Agency’s insurance details on it, or,
alternatively, have the details sent to you via email.
• The Transport Agency's corporate travel insurance does not cover you when you are travelling within New
Zealand, but your personal insurance should cover you for domestic travel.
• If you are adding some personal travel days to your international business travel, the Transport Agency’s
insurance will not cover you, and you will need to arrange separate travel insurance for those days. You can
do this through our provider using their online portal.
• For more information, read the Insurance page on OnRamp.
Travel security
• The personal security of staff and the security of official information and assets must be considered when
travelling overseas, whether on Transport Agency business or undertaking personal travel
• Once international travel has been booked, the traveller must notify the Chief Security Officer (CSO), email
protectivesecurity@nzta.govt.nz. The traveller will then be informed if they require a pre-travel briefing with
the Principal Advisor Protective Security. Staff holding a national security clearance should follow this
procedure, in advance, for both business and personal travel to ensure appropriate steps and briefings can
be arranged.
• The security of Transport Agency and government information is of critical importance and extra precautions
must be taken if staff are taking electronic devices or hard copy information overseas. While the risk of
espionage and surveillance is greater in some countries, we should not regard any international travel as
being completely safe. All staff, regardless of their position or security clearance, should seek up-to-date
advice at the time of travel, and determine what precautions should be taken to provide the best protection
for Transport Agency information and assets, while also enabling staff to fulfil their role and meet business
requirements while overseas. Full details can be found in the International travel security guidelines.
Taxis and app-based small passenger services
• When using a taxi or other small passenger service, it is important to consider the timing of your journey, the
time of day and your destination. Where expense for the travel may be costly, please consult with your
people leader. Consideration should always be given to ensuring your safety and wellbeing.
• Where possible, coordinate your travel with others travelling to common destinations. The use of public bus
services and shuttle services, or taxi-sharing to and from an airport, is encouraged.
• If the cost of using a taxi or small passenger service is likely to exceed the cost of hiring a motor vehicle, or
when a pool vehicle is available, then consideration should be given to using rental vehicles if appropriate,
and if driver fatigue is not an issue.
• Frequent users of taxis should be issued with a taxi charge card. Infrequent users of taxis may use a
temporary taxi charge card from your local Workplace Services team. You may also use your corporate
credit card for work-related taxi rides.
• You may not use your credit card, taxi charge card, or a temporary taxi charge card to pay for personal taxi
use.
• App-based small passenger services can be used for Transport Agency business, as long as the provision
of the service is compliant with legal requirements and they represent value for money. If you are unsure
about the legality of an app-based service, contact the Manager Road Compliance in your area.
• Small passenger service drivers are also required to hold a P endorsement and must display an ID card
with their photo on it and that the card is clearly visible. If the driver does not have an ID card displayed, or
the photo on the ID card does not match the driver, they do not comply with the requirements and you
should choose another vehicle or service.
• Please make sure you do not:
o use Transport Agency credit cards or claim expenses for using the non-compliant small passenger
services
o download any non-compliant small passenger services apps onto Transport Agency-issued and funded
devices
o use Transport Agency email addresses to set up any non-compliant small passenger services accounts
– even for personal travel.
Policy name: Travelling for work policy 6 of 7
Date of issue: March 2019• If work is required outside normal business hours, then options for working remotely should be considered
and discussed with your manager. If you are required to work in the office outside hours when public
transport is available, then the Transport Agency may meet the cost of a taxi, but discuss this in advance
with your manager.
Rental vehicles
• Rental vehicles should only be considered if no pool vehicle is available, and these will be booked through
your travel coordinator. Preferred suppliers should always be used when booking rental vehicles.
• All drivers must abide by the Using fleet vehicles and driving for work policy when driving a rental vehicle on
Transport Agency business.
• When hiring buses for work purposes, ensure they have seatbelts where practicable.
Private vehicle use
• The preferred options for driving to a work-related destination are to book or share fleet pool vehicles or
rental cars.
• You may drive your own car if neither option is available, or if there is an emergency and it is necessary to
use a private vehicle, you must ensure the vehicle is safe to drive and meets all legal requirements for
roadworthiness.
• You may choose to drive your own car to the airport and park in cases where it would be more economical
to do so than to catch a taxi or shuttle from your normal place of work. Reimbursement will be met for the
cost for private mileage between your normal workplace to the airport, or between your home and the
airport, whichever cost is less.
• The current IRD kilometre rates will be used for reimbursement.
• See the Using fleet vehicles and driving for work policy for more about driving for work.
Claims and documentation
For details about documentation required for claiming expenses, see the Sensitive expenditure policy.
Further guidance
Related policies or guidance:
• Sensitive expenditure policy
• International travel security guidelines
• Corporate credit card policy
• Using fleet vehicles and driving for work policy [forthcoming]
• Code of conduct
Contact
For further information about this policy, please email Manager, Standards & Practice, Business Support, or
Finance@nzta.govt.nz.
Policy name: Travelling for work policy 7 of 7
Date of issue: March 2019You can also read
