If you never traveled for work (updated with resolution)

[Kanalua]

That was cool. At my place nobody has explained any kind of travel policy, and we travel all the time. In fact no one has reviewed the billing policy with any of the contractors!!!

 

[Safeway]

$60 are common place in NYC if you go to fucking high-ish end restaurants and order a steak. Sure.

I know that there are normal eateries in NYC. Pizza, pasta, hamburgers, et. al.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Damn....some of that shit it would have never even considered, regardless of how "green" I was to the whole thing.

At my work it would be...

Tips: no, except for meals, see below.
Movies: no
Phone calls home: no
Internet: possibly, depending on his job
Rockefeller: no
Kennel: no
Grass cutting: FUCK no

Airfare: yes
Taxis: Yes
Food/Meals/Vending: pre-defined per diem

My work also requires receipts or statements. So, since most vending machines are cash/change, they would be SOL.

Personally, I do think kenneling should be a valid expense, and grass cutting on extended business (like 1+ months as a poster below pointed out).

 

[HannibalX]

He went overboard on travel costs and food, not to mention the bogus items.

Even in NYC I can eat lunch for under $10 and I can eat dinner for under $10. If he had to take clients out that's a different story. Maybe once on the trip he could have sat down and had a steak or something.

The cabs are a joke. Drive to the airport and pay to park - or, use a satellite lot with a shuttle (every airport has them) which are dirt cheap.

While in NYC take the train/bus.

Sounds like this guy didn't prepare for the trip and didn't care to either.

Vending machines? Come on.

Traveling is like this, if the company isn't going to pay for something while you're working out of your home office they won't pay for it on the road. Example: movie tickets.

 

[evident]

depending on how long they keep you for, grass cutting is a valid expense, at least at my company. it has to be at least a month or something though. all his leisurely activities? no way.

 

[Safeway]

A friend of mine spends months in Boston on a regular basis. The company gives him $75/day food budget, pays for a furnished apartment in downtown Boston, and pays taxi transportation. If he has to take a client out to dinner, he is allotted $150 per dinner guest, including himself. He usually buys a used bicycle when he arrives and sells in when he leaves, billing the company if he takes a loss. It's a lot cheaper than taxi service, so they happily oblige. The company also pays for a round trip airline ticket every weekend. He works Monday through Thursday, and can fly anywhere in the US Friday though Sunday. Sometimes he goes home, sometimes he flies to NYC, sometimes to Martha's Vineyard, Hamptons, ...

Back home, he still pays his monthly rent and minimal utilities.

 

[dquan97]

Originally posted by: Safeway
A friend of mine spends months in Boston on a regular basis. The company gives him $75/day food budget, pays for a furnished apartment in downtown Boston, and pays taxi transportation. If he has to take a client out to dinner, he is allotted $150 per dinner guest, including himself. He usually buys a used bicycle when he arrives and sells in when he leaves, billing the company if he takes a loss. It's a lot cheaper than taxi service, so they happily oblige. The company also pays for a round trip airline ticket every weekend. He works Monday through Thursday, and can fly anywhere in the US Friday though Sunday. Sometimes he goes home, sometimes he flies to NYC, sometimes to Martha's Vineyard, Hamptons, ...

Back home, he still pays his monthly rent and minimal utilities.

That's a nice deal! State gov't allows for $40/day for food and $84/night for hotel.

 

[Kntx]

Originally posted by: bignateyk

Originally posted by: Kntx
I think these 3 are the only suspect ones. Maybe the trip to the Rockefeller center is OK.

$42 taxi plus ticket to visit top of Rockefeller Center
$135 kennel fee for his dog while he was gone
$25 to pay someone to cut his grass while he was gone

edit: Your company requires a documented policy for travel expenses. You can't pick and choose what to reimburse after the fact.

Why the hell should he be reimbursed for movie tickets and in-room movies?? Should he be reimbursed for the $1000/hour hooker he picked up too?

Some entertainment outside of working hours is reimbursable. Work has pulled him away from his friends and family for a week. He needs something to do.

$10 in room movie != $1000/hour hooker.

 

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: Kntx

Originally posted by: bignateyk

Originally posted by: Kntx
I think these 3 are the only suspect ones. Maybe the trip to the Rockefeller center is OK.

$42 taxi plus ticket to visit top of Rockefeller Center
$135 kennel fee for his dog while he was gone
$25 to pay someone to cut his grass while he was gone

edit: Your company requires a documented policy for travel expenses. You can't pick and choose what to reimburse after the fact.

Why the hell should he be reimbursed for movie tickets and in-room movies?? Should he be reimbursed for the $1000/hour hooker he picked up too?

Some entertainment outside of working hours is reimbursable. Work has pulled him away from his friends and family for a week. He needs something to do.

$10 in room movie != $1000/hour hooker.

Actually, yes, it is fairly common for the employer to pay for "reasonable" entertainment expenses. I know my employer(s) all have (approx. $20/day max).