3.21 | CTC Travel | Booking, Eating, & Extending

If you’re jet-setting on behalf of the Common Thread Collective, CTC will reimburse you for all necessary expenses while traveling.  Necessary travel expenses include Meals (with reasonable tips) and Incidental Expenses (M&IE). Still curious as to what a “necessary expense” is? Feel free to reach out to Differentiation prior to your travel as it may vary depending on your trip.

General guidelines when booking accommodations/lodgings, get a place that is less than $200/night. If this doesn’t seem to fit for your destination, work with your direct supervisor on budgets set for this trip. Reminder, keep your receipts – you’re going to need them!

For overnight travel, room sharing with same identifying gender is allowed and policy [each employee will have to have their own bed, no bed sharing]. Should an employee require reasonable accommodation for a solo room, they will need to reach out to DIFF ahead of time to share their request and then DIFF will work with those coordinating travel to accommodate as needed.

We all gotta eat! Meal limits are applicable only if you have a CCC for travel convenience. When traveling within the USA, meal limits are set to $50/day. For international travel, the daily maximum is $100. The maximum includes any daily combination of meals, snacks, minibar, beverages (non-alcoholic and alcoholic), tax and tip. Friendly reminder that this is a maximum limit, and if charges fall beneath the maximum limit, there are no penalties. 

Although not expected to be a common occurrence, meal limits may be exceeded with approval from your director supervisor and/or Executive Management. When in such extenuating circumstances, you’ll be prompted to include an explanation when reconciling any meal costs that exceed the daily limit. Non-approved over-limit meal amounts may be considered a personal expense and you might be required to reimburse CTC for overages. If you’re anticipating going over the meal limit for the day, please take precautions to splitting transaction upfront to avoid exceeding limits.

For travel convenience to those without a company credit card, CTC provides a per diem for necessary travel expenses. Any related business expenses must be documented using your Expensify account and submit charges as part of your monthly Expense Report for reimbursement. 

While per diem is given to use toward necessary travel expenses, the Common Thread Collective asks that good judgment is used when making purchases. Per diem rates have been calculated based on IRS standards at an average of $50 a day ($10 for breakfast, $15 for lunch, $25 for dinner). 

We do not expect this to be an issue, but if a termination from Common Thread Collective happens during travel, or after a per diem has been allocated in anticipation of upcoming travel, the employee will be required to return any per diem funds intended to cover those dates that fall after the date of separation of employment. 

Want to mix some pleasure in with business? We get it, if you want to extend a CTC trip for personal reasons and

1. the extension does not conflict with CTC work
2. the extension is approved by your direct supervisor prior to the booking of the trip as a form of PTO when applicable
3. the extension is no more than an additional $50 in fees than what CTC would pay for the regularly scheduled trip

CTC will happily accommodate a transportation ticket (e.g. airfare) for you!

Just know all airfare booked by CTC as an extension to a work trip for personal reasons are final. No date or time changes will be permitted, unless change fees are paid for in full by you. Also, any other accommodations (e.g. lodging, ground transportation, meal limits, etc) for the extension of a CTC trip for personal reasons is NOT covered by CTC – it’s a personal extension, so it’s a personal cost.