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Travel Information

How do I request work related travel?

Title: Travel Request Policy/Procedure

Participants: This process is intended for any Office of Physical Plant employee requesting work related travel

Step 1:  Fill out the Training and Development/Travel Request Form.
 

Step 2: Fill out form completely, providing all details as necessary.  Attach all relevant paperwork such as training/conference registration information, budget & task numbers, vehicle requests, hotels requested, and airline departure dates & times.  If airfare is involved, please also include date of birth, name on driver’s license, and cell phone number.  This information is needed for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
 

Step 3: Obtain approvals needed for work related travel, including supervisor/manager and director
 

Step 4: Submit form to Sandy Lightner, Travel Coordinator located in the OPP Front Lobby, 100 OPP for completing registrations, and booking hotels, vehicles, and airfare, if needed.
 

Step 5: Once trip is booked, a packet will be sent to the requesting employee approximately two (2) weeks  prior to travel date with itinerary and all relevant travel information.


SEE TRAINING/TRAVEL REQUEST – How to complete the form, for more information

Training/Travel Request

How to Complete the Form:

  • FULL NAME

1. If a flight is required,  your name as it appears on your Driver’s License and your birthdate (BOTH of these are needed for TSA purposes)

  • PSU ID#

  • CREDIT CARD NUMBER AND EXPIRATION  - STAFF only

  1. If a hotel reservation is needed. The credit card is usually not charged just to hold the reservation but some hotels require a one night deposit to hold the reservation and will charge the card for the one night.

  2. Technical Service employees will receive a cash advance to pay for their hotel rooms.  Ideally, the cash advance is requested (through IBIS-SRFC) about 2 weeks before departure while you are also creating the Travel Agenda Memo.  Allow 1 week to have a cash advance processed and deposited into the employee’s bank account.

  • BUDGET AND TASK NUMBER

  • TITLE OF REQUESTED EVENT

  • SPONSOR OF TRAINING

  • DATE(S) AND TIME/HOURS OF TRAINING

1. Brochure or website if available with hotel information and itinerary for the event

2. Completed registration form

  • LOCATION OF TRAINING: CITY/STATE

  • COST OF REGISTRATION (PER PERSON)  AND REGISTRATION DEADLINE

  • VEHICLE – Please specify if you are requesting a rental or fleet vehicle or if you are using a personal vehicle

1. Use of a personal vehicle with reimbursement must have prior approval of the AVP of    OPP.  The form is available in Vol1: OHR/Travel/FORMS AND TEMPLATES.   The financial loss for damage to a privately-owned vehicle used on business is not reimbursable by the University.

2. Fleet Vehicle:  Vehicles are not to be used for non-University business.  Fines incurred must be paid by the individual and will not be reimbursed by the University.

  • Time and Date of Pick-up and Return

  • Do you need a fleet car driver?

  • Type of vehicle

  • Number in vehicle

  1. Rental Car:   Use the flight information to estimate rental car pick-up and return

  • LODGING

1. Hotel Check-in Date and Hotel Check-out Date

2.  Single or Double needed

3. Smoking or Non-Smoking

4. Preferred Location: Include name of hotel, address, and phone number, if possible

  • FLIGHT

1. Date and preferred time frame to leave and return

2. Options of flights that you have found that you prefer

3. Preference of another airport over University Park

  • ESTIMATED COST OF REQUEST

  • SIGNATURE OF TRAVELER AND DATE OF REQUEST

  • APPROVALS & DATE

1. Must be signed and dated by Supervisor/Manager and Director before the form can be processed

Travel/Training Information

To ensure our ability to take advantage of  earlier registration discounts and early airfare booking, the following deadlines are established.

Registration Information
Type of request Deadline
Request for Fleet Vehicle 5 Days in advance of travel date
Request for Travel/Training involving Auto 10 Days Before Registration deadline
Request for Training only 10 Days Before Registration deadline
Request for Air Travel only 30 Days in Advance of Travel date
Request for Travel/Training involving airfare 30 Days in Advance of Travel date

Please make sure your travel request forms are completely filled-out with required supervisor and director signatures, budgets and task numbers, registration and other travel information when submitted.  If the forms are incomplete, they will be returned to the person requesting travel to provide the missing information.

Travel Expense Forms must be submitted within five (5) days of returning from the trip if a cash advance is involved.  If there is no cash advance involved, they must be submitted with the (10) days.

We all know that from time to time an emergency situation arises and we will do our best to accommodate these emergencies.  However, please make every effort to give us the time we need to get the best accommodations and airfare possible and to process the request in an orderly manner.

Reimbursement for Travel Policy/Procedure

Question: I had business related expenses while traveling – how do I obtain reimbursement?

Process Owner: Office of Associate Vice President

Participants: This process is intended for any Office of Physical Plant employee requesting reimbursement for work related travel expenses

Process:

Process Steps: Any Full Time Office of Physical Plant employee requesting reimbursement for work related travel expenses must follow the steps below.

Step 1:  Fill out the Employee Travel Reimbursement Form.

Step 2: Fill out form completely, providing all details as necessary.  All receipts must be attached and signed with the exception of meals. Meal receipts are NOT needed.

Step 3: Sign form in a blank area of the form.  Supervisor and/or Manager & Director are to sign the form as well under the employee’s signature.  Building & Grounds are required to have employee, supervisor, manager, and director’s signatures.

Step 4: Submit form to Sandy Lightner, Travel Coordinator located in the OPP Front Lobby, 100 OPP for completing registrations, and booking hotels, vehicles, and airfare, if needed.

Step 5: Travel Coordinator will submit a report in the Employee Reimbursement System (ERS).  Once the report is submitted, reimbursement will be available for direct deposit in approximately 6 business days. 

Completing Employee Travel/ERS Worksheet

  • Fill out top with Traveler’s name, Access/User (email and Penn State ID#), and Description of travel

  • If any expense were paid by a third party, check the “Yes” and give details

  • Conference or seminar fees (most are prepaid so this is usually not checked)

  • Travel Advance amount (usually for Technical Service employees only)

  • Travel itinerary box:

  • FIRST DAY: Enter location, date, and time of departure and the arrival location, date and time

  • If traveler had travel to another location then include this between the first and last day of travel

  • LAST DAY: Enter location, date, and time of departure and the arrival location, date and time

  • If Personal travel involved then check “Yes” and indicates dates of personal travel

  • MEALS: On the grid list the dates of travel and ONLY mark an “X” in each box where a meal was provided by the conference, hotel, etc.  If employee had to pay for a meal then do not “X” the box.  ALSO, first and last day of travel per diem are 75% of per diem to take care of situations where the traveler leaves later in the day or the traveler returns early in the day and has some of his meals at home. DO NOT have employee “X” the box for a meal that was eaten at home.

  • Indicate if any meals were charged on a Pcard or there was a Group Meal on a Pcard

  • If a traveler would like to voluntarily reduce their reimbursement  then check the box and enter an amount of actual meal costs

  • Expenses Requiring Receipts:  If a personal credit card or cash was used for an expense then check the Cash box; if a Pcard was used then check the Pcard box.

  • Expenses Not Requiring Receipts:  Indicate any that were incurred with the amount requesting reimbursement.  Miscellaneous expenses are extra expenses not covered.  A lot of people indicate tips but if you remember change these to just Miscellaneous Expenses. 

  • Enter Budget and Task number in the box under Account to Charge.  I put the task number in the Cost Center area.

Make sure employee and supervisor sign the form – somewhere on the right blank area. For Building and Grounds, we also need to get the assistant director and directors signature on the expense form before it can be processed.