Expense Reimbursement Policy

Highlighted text is the category for expense

EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS

  • All expense reimbursement requests must be submitted through this online Expense Reimbursement Form with all required supporting documentation and receipts.
  • Expense reports that are submitted with the proper information are typically processed 5-10 business days after submittal, and reimbursements are paid via direct deposit to the same bank account entered in ADP for payroll.
  • Should you update your payroll direct deposit account in ADP, please notify accounting so it may be updated in the expense direct pay portal.
  • Expense reimbursement requests must be submitted no later than the 15th of the month following the month in which the expense occurred. For example, expenses from January must be submitted by February 15. Any request submitted after this deadline will be denied. Expense reports missing required details will also be declined and cannot be resubmitted after the deadline.

BUSINESS MILEAGE DEFINITION

Allowable business mileage is defined as a reimbursable expense when an employee is required to use their own vehicle for business purposes that meet the IRS guidelines.

Employees understand that they must be operating the vehicle themselves, must have a valid driver’s license, and state-required insurance to be eligible for reimbursement. If an employee is unlicensed or uninsured, they are ineligible for business mileage reimbursement and cannot operate a vehicle for business purposes.

In defining business mileage, there is a difference in eligibility for mileage reimbursement based on the trip’s starting point:

  • Mileage for trips originating from the employee’s primary office location to a customer’s site, other branch office, or other business-related destination would qualify as a reimbursable expense.
  • Mileage for trips to any location (other office, customer site, or other business-related destination) that began from the employee’s home, regardless of the distance of the destination, would not qualify as a reimbursable expense.
  • Employees who are working temporarily in another office and staying overnight at a destination in close proximity are eligible to request reimbursement for mileage for the initial trip from the primary office to the secondary office, as well as the return trip. Mileage from a hotel to the secondary office would not be a reimbursable travel expense.
  • Employees who request or choose to work at an alternate branch due to a personal reason are not covered under the business mileage definition. Mileage to/from the alternate branch is at sole personal cost.

EXPENSING BUSINESS MILEAGE (Travel & Auto Expense – Staff Mileage Reimbursement)

Business mileage reimbursements must be submitted with all required supporting details of business activities, including the following:

  • Date(s) of mileage.
  • Business purpose of the trip.
  • Starting address/ending address.
  • Total miles driven.
  • One way/round trip.
  • Reimbursement amount.
  • Map verifying total miles per trip.

(Travel & Auto Expense – Travel Expense)

  • Approved business mileage will be reimbursed at a rate of 72.5 cents per mile.
  • Gas transactions are not to be charged on company credit cards.
  • Parking fees are a separate expense to be submitted individually, separate from business mileage.

BUSINESS TRAVEL DEFINITION (Travel & Auto Expense – Travel Expense)

Allowable business travel is defined as a reimbursable expense when an employee is required to stay overnight at a location that is at least 200 miles from their main working office. In this circumstance, there may be airline fees, baggage fees, and hotel expenses, which are all acceptable business travel expenses. Employees understand that they must receive specific approval to stay overnight for business purposes to be eligible for reimbursement.

  • Employees who have been issued a company credit card must submit receipts to substantiate business travel charges made within the budgets defined below.
  • Expense the transaction to the branch location where this person has visited or stayed overnight.
  • Employees paying for business travel expenses personally must cover the costs within the budgets defined below and submit receipts along with the request for reimbursement.

In defining business travel:

  • Employees must have prior management approval.
  • Employees must be working temporarily at another office or traveling to a customer location that is at least 200 miles from the assigned office.

EXPENSING BUSINESS TRAVEL (Travel & Auto Expense – Staff Mileage Reimbursement)

Business travel reimbursements must be submitted with all required supporting details of business activities, including the following:

  • Date(s) of travel.
  • Destination (office or customer traveled to) and receipt/check-out bill from hotel.
  • Incidentals at the hotel outside of room charges should be charged to a personal card.

Hotel overnight stay: (Travel & Auto Expense – Travel Expense)

  • No more than $200 total will be reimbursed or can be charged on the company credit card. In the event that a hotel cannot be located at this budgeted amount or less, please receive prior approval from the Company President or Vice President of Operations.

Transportation: (Travel & Auto Expense – Travel Expense)

  • When business transportation is needed and a personal vehicle is not available, always compare the cost of a rental car to the cost of using an Uber or Lyft for travel to/from the hotel to the visiting office. The average rule for a budget is to spend no more than $30 a day for transportation.
  • Transportation to/from an airport may be higher than the budgeted daily amount.

CLIENT / CUSTOMER BUSINESS REIMBURSEMENT

CLIENT LOYALTY BUDGET

Branch Budget:

  • The monthly budget will vary by branch. Before the month starts, the Marketing department will provide each branch manager with the budget that the office has available for that month. Budget from the previous month will not rollover to the next month.

Allocation:

  • Branch Managers and Account Managers will share this budget to determine what current billing clients should be recognized that month. The current billing clients must have a minimum of 120 hours or more in the past 30 days to qualify under this budget. This budget is to only be utilized for current billing clients, not targets/potentials.

Reimbursement: (Advertising and Promotion – Client Gifts)

  • Expenses must be properly processed through the online Expense Submission Form for Corporate reimbursement. If an employee chooses to spend an amount above the allocated monthly client loyalty budget, it will be considered a personal choice and will not be reimbursed by Corporate.

TARGET DROP BUDGET

Every month, the Marketing department provides target drops exclusively to those who are in sales positions to target potential clients. Therefore, Corporate will not allocate a budget or offer reimbursement for any purchases made beyond the items provided. If an employee chooses to purchase beyond what is included in the monthly target drop, it will be considered a personal choice and will not be reimbursed by Corporate.

DONATIONS TO CUSTOMERS

Any requests for donations should be forwarded to the President for review. Participation in specific events is based on Corporate’s discretion as part of the overall marketing plan and budget.

JOB BOARD / ON-LINE SUBSCRIPTIONS (Dues & Subscriptions - Software Expense)

The company has made substantial investments in job boards and recruiting platforms. Nevertheless, should employees decide to utilize the paid or premium versions of the recruiting tools mentioned below and wish to be reimbursed by the company, they will be required to adhere to the appropriate procedures, which involve auditing, tracking, and obtaining management approval. The company reserves the right to reject, revoke, or temporarily suspend any reimbursement policies at any time.

LINKEDIN (Dues & Subscriptions – Software)

Premium Version:

  • If employees find value in utilizing the paid LinkedIn Premium version, the monthly cost may be submitted for reimbursement along with a receipt.

CONTACT OUT

Paid Sales Version: (Dues & Subscriptions – Software)

  • If employees find value in utilizing the paid sales version of Contact Out, the monthly cost may be submitted for reimbursement along with a receipt.

CRAIGSLIST (Dues & Subscriptions – Job Ad Expense)

Job Ad:

  • If an employee determines an industrial and/or entry-level position job is appropriate for Craigslist, they must obtain management approval before posting the ad. Employees need to have a Craigslist login and pay for the job advertisement fee upfront. The cost of the job ad may be submitted for reimbursement along with a receipt.

EVENT ATTENDANCE (Advertising and Promotion – Events & Sponsorships)

The Company encourages employee participation at approved events to increase our exposure in our local markets. Reimbursement guidelines for fees to attend events are as follows:

  • Approved Company Events: Individual tickets must be under $50 each and must be associated with an HR or business-related event put on by organizations such as SHRM, The Business Journal, and Chamber of Commerce, for example. Prior approval to attend events must be obtained from the Marketing team, and a photo verifying proof of attendance must be submitted to Marketing after the event.
  • Unapproved Company Events: Individual tickets that are over $50 each and/or are not HR or businessoriented. Attendance at these events would be done at the employee’s own discretion and would not be considered a reimbursable expense.