Traveling for Glitch
Broadly speaking, if we've asked you to travel to a location, this is covered under our travel policy. This policy also encompasses conference travel.
Summary
When traveling for the company we'll generally book your accommodations for you in advance. The exception to this is when you're traveling for a conference, where you'll submit your expenses through Abacus for reimbursement.
Flights: Over 5 hours: Business/Premium Economy; Less than 5 hours: Coach
Hotel: Private room
Rental Car: Decline all insurance coverage (covered by company); Not for NYC/London/other mass transit accessible cities
Train: Always Business Class
Taxi: Reimbursed through Abacus
Meals: Eat conference/office-provided meals when possible
Flexible Stay: Resulting expense >$100 covered by employee
Best Practices
Book early
Group outings need prior approval
Submit expenses no more than 30 days after trip- keep your receipts!
Keep emergency contact/health insurance information nearby
Ensure your cellphone is set for international travel ahead of time
The Golden Rule - Treat the company’s money as if it were your own
Travel Expenses and Reimbursements
The following are expense/reimbursable:
Flights
Lodging
Rental car / Public transit costs
Meals
Tolls
Taxis
Baggage fees
Laundry and dry cleaning when a trip is longer than four (4) consecutive nights
Internet connectivity in hotel, airplanes, and other public places.
ATM fees when withdrawing money on your personal card for business related expenses.
Mileage on personal cars will be reimbursed at the IRS business mileage rate.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) related expenses, i.e. Skype minutes.
SIM cards or international plan extension for personal phone, up to $50.
The following are NOT reimbursable:
Expenses submitted without a receipt or explanation for its absence.
Lost luggage and contents. Employees should work with the airline and their credit card insurance carrier to recover damages.
Health club/spa services (Ex: massages, manicures, fees incurred to access hotel fitness center)
Hotel incidentals (Ex: room damage, pay-per-view, minibar, etc.)
Personal travel expenses (Ex: sundries or recreational reading.)
Parking citations, speeding tickets, and other law-enforcement penalties.
Expenses incurred by friends and family of the employee
Phone charges due to failure to plan for international travel. Charges that are part of planning will be covered.
Expenses NOT submitted within 30 days of their acquisition.
Flights
Employees should notify us as soon as possible so that travel arrangements can be made
Flights more than five (5) hours will book in Business Class or Premium Economy
Any discounted flight options available through the the company's loyalty miles will be considered.
Employee airline preferences will be considered, and employees are entitled to any airline loyalty points awarded.
We maintain our own group travel insurance, the details of which are available through Liz. Flight insurance should be declined except flights that cost over $1000.
Lodging
All employees are guaranteed their own private hotel room.
Employee hotel preferences will be considered, and employees are entitled to any hotel loyalty points awarded.
A personal credit card is required at check-in for incidentals.
If residing with a friend, family member or AirBnB, in lieu of staying in a hotel, an employee is eligible for flight accommodations improved by whatever dollar amount is being saved by the cheaper housing option (better class, more convenient schedule, etc.). This is considered on a case-by-case basis.
Rental Cars
If the destination requires it, a midsize car can be booked on the employee’s behalf.
Employees traveling to New York City, London and other mass-transit-friendly cities do not require a rental car.
Employee rental car company preferences will be considered, and employees are entitled to any car rental loyalty points awarded.
In case of emergency, a midsize car can be booked on-site and submitted for reimbursement.
Glitch maintains its own loss, theft and auto insurance policies, the details of which are available through Liz.
Insurance policies and extras should be turned down at the rental counter. However, pre-paying for gas should be accepted.
GPS systems and tolls are reimbursable.
If a booking is made or changed without manager approval, the employee will be responsible for the resultant difference in cost.
In case of accident, employees should contact 911, the group insurance provider and Glitch management, in that order.
Meals
Be reasonable. You don’t need to eat at McDonalds, but $100 steak dinner is probably overkill. Eat where you would eat if you were spending your own money.
Tips shouldn’t exceed 20% of the total bill and should be appropriate to the location, service level and local protocol.
Flexible Stay
Employees wanting to fly earlier/later than required for personal time in the destination may do so.
Employees must use vacation days to account for these additional days of travel.
If this flexibility results in flights that cost more, the company will cover the difference up to $100. Any additional cost will be paid by the employee.
If this flexibility results in additional lodging and meal costs, the difference will be paid by the employee.
Travel Documentation
Employees traveling internationally must check that their passport has three (3) month validity and three (3) blank visa pages, the costs of which (certified copies of Naturalization Certificate, application fees, etc.) are fully reimbursable.
Employees traveling domestically must check that their government-issued photo I.D. is current, the costs of which is not reimbursable.
Employees must obtain a business visa when traveling internationally for Glitch, the costs of which (certified copies of birth certificates, application fees, etc.) are fully reimbursable.
Employees may not use a tourist visa when traveling for Glitch.
Photocopies of the employee’s passport and business visa should be left with Glitch management.
Please retain receipts for all documentation expenses.
Medical Care
Travel immunizations are covered services for employees enrolled in Glitch’s medical plan. If there are any complications, travel immunizations are fully reimbursable and should be submitted through an expense report.
See the Health Insurance page for the full details on our plan.