A Corporate Travel Policy that Works
If it has been given to you to put together a corporate travel policy, your mission from the stand point of the company is to develop a policy that standardizes business expenses, eliminates waste and excess on the road and puts some controls around that part of the business expense picture. So there are some definite focus areas you should include in the stated corporate policy including…
Reservations. If you utilize a travel agent that is looking for the best deal for the company. The best rates can be identified and taken advantage off but only while making sure the business traveler’s needs to meet the business objective of the trip are satisfied. Requiring that employees utilize the corporate travel agent again is not harsh and it clarifies for the employee how to handle the situation.
Use of credit. It is a bit of effort and expense to set up corporate credit cards that you can require your traveling employees to use. But by trapping expenses to the corporate account, you can get a record of a good percentage of the business expenses that the employee is incurring. Many of the expenses of travel such as airline and hotel can be direct billed back to the company thus taking both the hassle and the opportunity for creativity out of the hands of the business traveler.
Travel rewards. If you have your corporate travel coordinated by an internal or external travel agency, corporate accounts with the major airlines can be established so the frequent flyer miles can be collected by the business. As such the business can redeem those miles and realize those benefits as a significant discount on the travel that must be paid for.
Daily limits. Your corporate travel policy must communicate clearly to the traveling employee what their limits are for hotel, rental car and meals on the road. You want to head off before it starts any tendency by the employee to go to expensive restaurants and see the business trip as some form of all expenses paid vacation. But you also must allow for some leverage for the employee to eat well while traveling. This part of the policy should be reviewed annually to update to current costs.
Reporting. One of the chief complaints employees have about corporate travel policies are that the expense reporting system is cryptic and hard to fill out. You will give the employee a standardized form that each traveler in the company must fill out to get reimbursed for expenses while traveling. But review these forms and even design your own so the format is understandable and you have categories to cover all types of expenses the employee might encounter.
Along with these general categories, your corporate travel policies should include some leverage for employees who are faced with exceptional situations. Room and food expenses can vary widely depending on where the employee must travel. So you don’t want to set the hotel limit to $125 per night because it is reasonable to stay in a comfortable hotel for that rate in Lincoln Nebraska but enforce that same limitation for an employee who must do business in New York City.
By creating a policy that in general protects the corporate budget but is also workable to employees who are about the company business, you will have a tool that will serve both company and employee interests and enable business travel to be what it was always intended to be – a productive business focused activity that achieves the goals of the enterprise.
It is a myth that workers in your organization who go on business detest the corporate travel approach. Actually, representatives like to realize what is anticipated from them and how to agree to a corporate approach the length of that arrangement is reasonable and give them the capacity to what they have to do out and about. So a well thoroughly considered corporate travel arrangement is an advantage to the organization and the business voyager alike.
In the event that it has been given to you to assemble a corporate travel arrangement, your central goal from the viewpoint of the organization is to build up an approach that institutionalizes operational expense, kills waste and abundance out and about and puts a few controls around that part of the cost of doing business picture. So there are some unequivocal center zones you ought to incorporate into the expressed corporate arrangement including…
Reservations. In the event that you use a travel operator that is searching for the best arrangement for the organization. As well as can be expected be distinguished and exploited off however just while ensuring the business explorer's needs to meet the business target of the excursion are fulfilled. Requiring that workers use the corporate travel operator again is not unforgiving and it illuminates for the representative how to handle the circumstance.
Use of credit. It is a touch of exertion and cost to set up corporate Mastercards that you can require your going representatives to utilize. In any case, by catching costs to the corporate record, you can get a record of a decent rate of the operational expense that the representative is acquiring. A significant number of the costs of travel, for example, aircraft and lodging can be immediate charged back to the organization along these lines taking both the bother and the open door for imagination out of the hands of the business voyager.
Travel rewards. In the event that you have your corporate travel composed by an inside or outside travel office, corporate records with the significant aircrafts can be set up so the preferred customer credits can be gathered by the business. Thusly the business can reclaim those miles and understand those advantages as a critical markdown on the travel that must be paid for.
Daily restricts. Your corporate travel arrangement must convey plainly to the voyaging worker what their breaking points are for inn, rental auto and dinners out and about. You need to take off before it begins any inclination by the worker to go to costly eateries and see the business trip as some type of all costs paid get-away. Be that as it may, you additionally should take into account some influence for the representative to eat well while voyaging. This a player in the strategy ought to be surveyed every year to upgrade to current expenses.
Reporting. One of the central grumblings workers have about corporate travel approaches are that the cost reporting framework is secretive and difficult to round out. You will give the worker an institutionalized structure that every explorer in the organization must round out to get repaid for costs while voyaging. In any case, survey these structures and even plan your own particular so the configuration is justifiable and you have classifications to cover a wide range of costs the representative may experience.
Alongside these general classifications, your corporate travel arrangements ought to incorporate some influence for workers who are confronted with extraordinary circumstances. Room and nourishment costs can differ generally relying upon where the worker must travel. So you would prefer not to set as far as possible to $125 every night since it is sensible to stay in an agreeable lodging for that rate in Lincoln Nebraska however implement that same restriction for a worker who must work together in New York City.
By making an approach that when all is said in done ensures the corporate spending plan but at the same time is workable to representatives who are about the organization business, you will have an instrument that will serve both organization and worker interests and empower business go to be what it was constantly proposed to be – a beneficial business centered action that accomplishes the objectives of the endeavor.
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