Faculty Travel and Business Meal Policy Guidelines
- Sarah Eiseman (Unlicensed)
- Susan Monsen
YALE LAW SCHOOL
FACULTY TRAVEL AND BUSINESS MEAL POLICY GUIDELINES
Yale Law School is required to abide by Yale University policies and procedures [University Policies & Procedures ] related to travel and business meal expenses. Below is a summary of some of the general University policies related to travel and business meals. This, along with the “Yale Law School Faculty Expense Guidelines,” should provide you with some of the basic guidance for teaching, research, and travel expenses. Please feel free to contact Jennifer Truong, Associate Director of Finance & Administration, jennifer.truong@yale.edu, 432-4977.
TRAVEL
Yale’s preferred travel vendor is Egencia - for access to Egencia please visit Egencia-Getting Started.
Air Travel
Travelers are expected to book the lowest available economy class airfare consistent with business requirements.
Business class may be used for travel only if your Business Office confirms, prior to purchase, that appropriate funds are available, and the University criteria are met – see policy 3301 Travel on University Business 3301 Travel on University Business. If criteria are not met, the differential between coach and business class will not be reimbursed. First-class travel is never allowed, and will not be reimbursed. In most instances business class cannot be charged to a grant. Please contact Pascale Mathieu, Grants & Restricted Funds Administrator, at 432-4981, with questions regarding business-class travel on a grant.
Train
University policy allows business class service on Amtrak and the Acela. First-class train travel is not reimbursable. To take advantage of any University-negotiated discounts on Amtrak, travelers must make reservations using the Egencia online tool.
Rental Cars
Who is covered: The University has automobile insurance that covers University employees (including casual employees, postdoctoral associates, and postdoctoral fellows) traveling on University business and will not reimburse for additional US insurance fees.
Domestic Rentals: Decline (do not purchase) all additional insurance for any rental in the continental United States. Additional insurance will not be reimbursed.
International Rentals: Accept (purchase) the damage (LDW or CDW) and liability protection (LIS) and decline any additional insurance coverage offered by car rental companies.
Passenger Vans: Yale does not permit the rental of 12 and 15 passenger vans because of the possibility of serious accidents and injury to passengers. The Office of Risk Management will not extend Yale’s insurance to these vehicles.
Refer to the Yale Travel Management website for more details regarding air and rail travel, rental car options and insurance policies at Yale Travel Management | It's Your Yale
Lodging
Travelers should choose a reasonably priced hotel with a single occupancy rate. Only actual hotel expenses will be reimbursed -federal per diem rates are not allowed for lodging.
Note: One-day travel, within 50 miles of a regular work location, is not eligible for lodging reimbursement.
Individual Meals (meals while traveling)
Travelers will be reimbursed for reasonable, actual meal expenses or may opt for the Meals and Incidental Expense (M&IE) per diem allowance. You cannot combine the two methods on the same trip. As a guideline, actual travel meal expenses should not be greater than the per diem allowance set by the federal government for the city visited.
Refer to Yale University Travel Policy 3301 Travel on University Business 3301 Travel on University Business | It's Your Yale
BUSINESS MEALS
Meals at which faculty, staff or students, and/or external parties are present for the purpose of conducting University business are allowable per University policy below.
We ask that you keep meal expenses (including food, alcohol, tax, and tip) between $50- $75 per person. The reimbursable per person maximum is $100. The Controller's Office must approve, in advance, any expense greater than $100 per person and will only do so under extraordinary circumstances. Business meals above $100 per person that the Controller’s Office does not approve in advance will be considered a personal expense and will not be reimbursed.
For a business meal to be reimbursed, a business purpose with a list of attendees and their business relationship to the University is required by I.R.S. regulations. A detailed list of attendees will be required for meals up to and including 10 people. For a group of more than 10 people, only a description of the group is required.
REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS AND DOCUMENTATION
Yale University uses Workday Expenses, an online expense management tool for reimbursing employees. The expense report is prepared for you by your faculty assistant. Once the report is prepared and submitted, you will need to approve the expense report through your Workday In Box.
Your faculty assistant will assist you with your travel needs and process your expense reimbursement.
Travelers are expected to submit reimbursement requests, with required supporting documentation, within 30 business days of incurring the expense or returning from the trip.
A business purpose [Who, What, When, Where and Why] must be provided for each trip.
The Business Office requires that you submit all receipts related to your reimbursement request, regardless of dollar amount. The receipts must show item details for each expense and proof of payment.
Expenses over 120 days will only be reimbursed as taxable income. Gross-up for taxes incurred will not be allowed. Any expenses more than 366 days old are not eligible for reimbursement.
Generally, if another institution invites you to speak, that institution should pay for the related expenses.
NON-REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES
The following expenses are considered personal expenses and will not be reimbursed by the University.
Baggage fees related to leisure (e.g. golf clubs, extra baggage for personal leg of trip)
Car rental insurance for rentals within the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia; Satellite radio on car rentals
Child care; Pet care
Commuting between home and one or more regular places of business
Frequent flyer and other similar award programs
In-room movies, gym, and recreational fees, including massages and saunas
Issuance of passport or their renewals
Laundry or valet service if domestic travel is less than five days
Lost baggage; loss or theft of cash advance, airline tickets, personal funds or property
Memberships in private clubs including airlines, wholesale clubs, etc.
Minibar charges unless treated as an actual meal
“No-show” charges for hotel and car service
Personal credit card delinquency fees or finance charges, grooming services, parking tickets, traffic violations
Personal telephone charges in excess of reasonable calls home
Spouse/guest related charges while traveling
Travel between University locations – mileage or parking
Upgrades (air, hotel, car, train, etc.) -except allowed by policy
Business Office Contact Information
Sheila Daykin, Senior Associate Director of Financial Operations, Sheila.daykin@yale.edu, 432-1647
Jennifer Truong, Associate Director of Finance & Administration, jennifer.truong@yale.edu, 432-4977
Pascale Mathieu, Assistant Director, Center and Program Operations, pascale.mathieu@yale.edu, 432-4981
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