• Contractor Travel Reimbursement Guidelines

Effective Date: October 1, 2005
NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD
Contractor Travel Reimbursement Guidelines
1. Introduction
Any contractor working for the National Mediation Board (NMB) should use sound
business judgment in determining the need for travel and the expenditure of
financial resources. These guidelines are provided to assist the contractor in its
compliance with contractual requirements.
The contractor will not be reimbursed for excess costs caused by:
• An indirect route as a matter of personal preference
• Premature departure for personal reasons from a temporary location; or
• Extending a stay for personal reasons.
2. Applicability
In order to receive Lodgings-Plus per diem reimbursement, the contract with the
NMB must allow for travel. The contractor must be on a temporary assignment
that is at least 50 miles in distance from both his/her office and residence. If a
temporary assignment concludes during the workday and is located within 50
miles of the contractor’s office or residence, the contractor is expected to return to
his/her residence; and lodgings-plus per diem reimbursement is not allowable.
The cost of travel for spouses, other family members, and friends is not allowable
under any circumstances.
3. Travel Authorization
Contractors shall ensure that all travel on behalf of the NMB is necessary and
allowable under the terms of the certified authorization. A management official of
the NMB shall authorize all travel and approve travel vouchers reflecting travel
expenditures for the contractor.
4. Air/Rail Travel
All air/rail travel should be in coach class only, unless the contractor bears the cost
of the difference between coach and first class. Travel must be approved in
advance by the NMB management. All travel must be booked through the NMB’s
travel management provider, Fortune Travel.
If a restricted fare is booked and the contractor requires a change which is
approved by the NMB, a reasonable exchange fee may be claimed.
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NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD
Contractor Travel Reimbursement Guidelines
5. Rental Cars
All requests for rental cars must be in writing and approved by the NMB in
advance. The use of rental cars, even if authorized, must be justified by the
traveler and appropriate documentation must be submitted for reimbursement.
Claims for rental car gasoline must be supported by original receipts.
6. Lodging
The contractor should make use of corporate rates or other discounts whenever
possible.
Hotel expenses considered excessive or unreasonable will not be reimbursed.
Lodging reimbursement will be limited to the rates found on the General Services
Administration web site at
http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentId-17943&contentType-
GSA_BASIC
7. Meals and Incidental Expenses
The contractor on overnight travel status will be reimbursed on a per diem basis.
Specific per diem rates for different localities are found on the General Services
Administration web site at
http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentId-17943&contentType-
GSA_BASIC.
When on per diem, incidental expenses such as laundry and dry cleaning are
considered covered by the per diem allowance.
8. Miscellaneous Expenses
Any contractor in non-overnight travel status, and away from his/her residence at
least 12 consecutive hours, will be reimbursed for three quarters of the
government’s per diem allowance for that area.
9. Use of Personal Owned Vehicle
The NMB may reimburse a contractor for use of his/her personal vehicle while on
NMB-related business. The maximum reimbursement rate will be the mileage
rate stipulated by the General Services Administration. The rates can be found on
GSA’s website.
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 Effective Date: October 1, 2005
NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD
Contractor Travel Reimbursement Guidelines
If a contractor chooses to use his/her own vehicle in lieu of air travel, the
maximum reimbursement will be the lesser of the cost of air travel or the total of
the mileage reimbursement and the per diem difference.
The NMB does not insure contractors, their employees, or their vehicles for
liability. The NMB will not be held responsible for any liabilities caused by the
contractor while performing contract work for the NMB.
10. Taxicabs
The use of taxicabs is permitted while contractors are on official travel for the
NMB. Taxi hire is appropriate when:
a. public transportation, airport limousine service, and/or hotel courtesy
transportation is not available or when time or other factors make it
impractical to use available public conveyances;
b. traveling between transportation terminals and the residence, hotel, or
office while in an official travel status; or
c. for travel from the contractor’s residence to the airport or train station to
depart on an assignment requiring at least one night’s lodging, and from the
airport or train station to the residence on the day the employee returns
from that trip.
Taxi fares for trips used to obtain meals will not be reimbursed.
Reimbursement for taxicab fares (plus the customary 15 percent tip) will be made
only if an appropriate receipt is submitted with the voucher.
11. Receipts
Except for per diem expenses, valid original receipts are required for all
expenditures regardless of cost. If a receipt is not normally provided for the
expense (metro, bus token, etc.), the certification signed by the traveler on the
voucher will justify the expense.
12. Travel Voucher Completion
After completion of travel, a travel voucher, Standard Form 1012, must be
submitted for reimbursement. The contractor must state on the voucher the dates
and times of: 1) each departure from residence or office; 2) each arrival and
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NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD
Contractor Travel Reimbursement Guidelines
location of the place of temporary assignment; and 3) each return to the office or
residence.
A certification signed by the traveler must be included on the travel voucher that
states that the trip indicated was actually taken and that all expenses are accurate
and correct. On all travel vouchers, the contractor must clearly state on the travel
voucher the nature of the travel and must include the purchase or case number.
13. Penalties
The penalty for invoicing a travel voucher that falsifies any item in the claim is
forfeiture of the claim (28 U.S.C. 2514). Further, travelers who falsify a claim
may be fined or imprisoned for not more that 5 years, or both (18 U.S.C. Section
1001), and a corporation may be fined up to maximum of $500,000 (18 U.S.C.
Section 3571 (c) ).
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