TIME ENTRY/APPROVAL FOR HOLIDAY SHUTDOWN
As we near the Holiday Shutdown, we wanted to update you on some important reminders for time entry/approval for the current pay period (12/7/2018-12/20/2018, pay date 1/3/2019). All time worked during this period must be ENTERED AND RELEASED by employees before leaving for break. Staff will be very limited after 12/21. In order for the time to be paid it must also have supervisor approval. Any hours entered after the aforementioned dates or not approved by December 27th will be paid on 1/17/2019, no exceptions and no special checks will be done. Please let Shannon Stava in the FCH Business Center know if you have questions.
SUPERVISORS, please approve time before you leave for break as unapproved time will not be paid. If you will be taking time off before break, you can approve hours from anywhere you can access internet. Please coordinate with your staff to know when their hours are ready to be approved, and make sure you approve ASAP so that your staff can receive a full paycheck on 1/3/19.
HOLIDAY SHUTDOWN REIMBURSEMENT REMINDER
Remember the 60 day calendar for expense reimbursement (travel and non-travel) does not stop over break, so any expenses that will expire over the break need to be submitted in Concur by Friday, December 14 to allow time for review and approval. This would affect any expenses incurred before 11/5/18, and travel with an end date of 11/5/2018 or before.
We would also like to pass along some tips that will help the reimbursement process move faster.
• Be sure to attach an agenda for conferences, workshops, or any function with a registration.
• Be sure to have the correct arrival and departure times. This would be the time you leave/return home or work. Do not use the time of the flight.
• Each meal needs to be on a separate line. Do not combine them.
• The 'Meal (groceries equivalent)' category should only be used when grocery items are purchased for meals instead of purchasing meals from restaurant-type vendors (sit down/fast food restaurants, convenience stores). The traveler seeking reimbursement must indicate the date, which meals and other individuals (if any) the groceries were purchased for.
• Remove alcohol and associated tax and tip from the meal receipts. Use the meal calculator and attach it.
• Limit tip to 20%.
• Provide detailed meal receipts. Every attempt should be made to obtain one. A credit card receipt alone does not meet the state requirement for detail.
• Mileage calculator should be used. Concur makes the calculation of mileage easy. Enter all of the waypoints (single specific location) of each final destination in the trip. Enter either the city name or exact address, click on “Make Round Trip” (if applicable) and then click on “Calculate Route.
As always, if you have questions about the Concur reimbursement system, please refer to the Concur Help Website available via firefly, contact your department delegates (if applicable), or reach out to Jeanne Bonnett in the FCH Business Center.
TIP OF THE WEEK: ZERO DOLLAR TRAVEL REQUESTS
A commonly asked question with the new Concur travel application is "Why do I have to fill out a Travel Request if I will not have any expenses to submit for reimbursement?"
Every business traveler is required to have a travel request on file regardless of source of reimbursement. This enables travelers to be covered by University/State College insurance while in travel status and makes it possible for the university/state colleges to contact travelers in case of an emergency. Submitting a zero dollar travel request allows an employee to travel on official university/state college business that will not incur any expenses. An example of when to submit a zero dollar travel request is if you have been asked to speak at a conference and the conference will pay for all the travel and meal expenses.
Note: Zero dollar trip should only be used if there is zero payment by the university/state college and zero reimbursement to the employee. If the university/state college pays expenses in advance and will be subsequently reimbursed from an outside source, the traveler should submit a travel request with the projected expenses.