HR Newsletter - Travelling and Subsistence

THE HR NEWSLETTER TRAVELLING AND SUBSISTENCE

Jevaughn Roumell HR Officer (Benefits)

FO ELBAT CONTENTS I TRAVELLING II SUBSISTENCE III ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP IV THE BEST DRINKS TO V HAVE BEFORE BED WELCOME TO THE TEAM VI CONGRATULATIONS ON VII YOUR APPOINTMENT THE ROUND-UP

TRAVELLING AND SUBSISTENCE Information extracted from Chapter 11 of the Staff Orders and HRM&D Policies and Procedures Manual Travelling and subsistence allowances are granted to meet expenses actually incurred in the performance of official duties. Holders of posts requiring travel should neither be out of pocket, nor should they derive financial benefits beyond their direct costs. TRAVELLING ALLOWANCES When the functions of a post include travel as an essential requirement, the holder of the post may, subject to the applicable provisions, be eligible for either one or a combination of travelling allowances. UPKEEP ALLOWANCE When the functions of a post make it essential for the holder to possess their own means of transport, an allowance for its upkeep may be paid. In addition, they will be paid for the actual distance at the rate prescribed. COMMUTED ALLOWANCE In cases where it may be expedient and desirable that the officer possess their own means of transport, they may be granted a contribution toward the upkeep and running expenses in the form of a commuted travelling allowance. In addition, they will be paid for the actual distance for travel outside a radius of ten kilometers from their place of work.

ALLOWANCE IN-LIEU An officer holding a post to which a motorcar upkeep or commuted allowance is attached but who has no motorcar may be eligible for an allowance at the prescribed rate. An officer in receipt of this allowance will not be eligible for reimbursement of taxi fares or bus fares. CASUAL ALLOWANCE When an officer to whom neither an upkeep allowance nor a commuted allowance has been granted uses their own means of transport while travelling in the performance of duties, they will be paid fully for the actual distance at the rate prescribed. INCIDENTAL ALLOWANCE An officer who is not in receipt of travelling allowance and who uses the service of a taxi in the performance of their duties may be refunded expenses incurred, provided the rates are fair. ALTERNATE TRAVELLING ALLOWANCE The Permanent Secretary may approve the reimbursement of the cost of hiring alternate transportation for public officers who are eligible for an upkeep or a commuted allowance and whose personal motor vehicle is out of service. The period of entitlement will begin after five working days of the loss of use of the personal vehicle and the maximum period of the allowance shall not exceed twenty-five working days. In exceptional circumstances the Permanent Secretary may authorize the allowance for a further period, not exceeding an additional twenty-five working days. MOTOR VEHICLE PURCHASE ADVANCE Officers who are eligible for an upkeep or a commuted allowance may, subject to the conditions specified in the Financial Instructions, be considered for an advance from public funds to assist with the acquisition of a motor vehicle. PAYMENT OF TRAVELLING CLAIMS Submission of Claims Travelling claims should normally be submitted monthly for payment, but may be accumulated for a period not exceeding three (3) months;

The specific approval of the Permanent Secretary will be required for any claim exceeding three (3) months; The officer should be required to state the reasons for the late submission of the claims in excess of three (3) months. Claims Involving Others Where it is necessary for more than one officer to proceed to any point on a particular duty, the officers shall travel in one car, and in such case the vehicle to be used will, whenever possible, be one for which an upkeep allowance is paid. Where an officer conveys in their own motor vehicle other persons who would otherwise have to be transported at Government’s expense, they will be paid, in addition to any other transport allowance, a rate per kilometre per person at the prescribed rate. When it is necessary for more than one officer of a Department to hire transportation for the purpose of travelling on duty from and to the same place on the same date, those officers should arrange to travel by the same conveyance and payment for motor vehicle hire will not be made for separate conveyance unless it can be clearly shown that travelling separately was justifiable in view of special circumstances. CONTINUATION OF ALLOWANCES Officers Removed from Travelling Duties When an officer who is in receipt of a motor vehicle upkeep/commuted allowance is transferred permanently to a post where such allowance is not payable, he/she will continue to receive the full allowances for a period not exceeding three (3) months. When an officer in receipt of an upkeep/commuted allowance is seconded or appointed to act in a post to which a lower or no travelling allowance is attached, they may be paid the full allowance attached to their substantive post, during the period of his/her secondment or acting appointment, subject to review of the position at the expiration of six (6) months.

Allowance During Leave An upkeep/commuted allowance shall be payable during all periods of sick, departmental, vacation, pre-retirement, maternity and approved training courses including full pay study leave taken locally. The provisions of this Order shall not apply in cases where an officer is granted leave prior to resignation or separation from the Service in any circumstances or prior to permanent transfer out of Jamaica, except as specified. Where study is undertaken overseas, the allowance should be paid only for the period of Vacation Leave utilized in connection with the study. Where an officer is paid salary in lieu of Vacation Leave, the travelling allowance should be paid for the entire period in respect of which salary in lieu of leave is paid. THINGS YOU NEED TO REMEMBER Motor Vehicle Documents Full travelling allowances shall not be paid unless the motor vehicle for which the allowance is being claimed is registered with the relevant Ministry/Department or Agency (MDA) for payment of such an allowance. The following must be submitted to the HRM&D Branch: Motor Vehicle Registration Certificate; Motor Vehicle Insurance Certificate or proof of insurance; Motor Vehicle Certificate of Fitness; Travelling Officer’s Drivers Licence or that of their designated chauffeur; Entrusted Motor Vehicle Declaration Form Travelling Officer’s Declaration Form Where any of the document(s) become invalid during the month, travelling officers shall be paid the full allowance for that month but must submit the relevant valid document(s) to HRM&D for the full allowance to be paid for the following month. However, the Accounts Branch shall not pay to the officer any claims related to travelling (example, mileage, toll, passenger mileage) from the date of the expired document. If the valid documents are not submitted by the cut-off date the Accounts Branch shall automatically pay the officer at the reduced rate for the following month;

this shall continue until the required documents are submitted. On receipt of the valid document, the officer shall be paid the higher rate of the travelling allowance and any other related claims from the effective date of the document. Motor Vehicles Full travel allowances are not applicable if the vehicle is registered as: Government owned motor vehicles; Business owned motor vehicle except in the case of a lease/hire purchase agreement; Commercial motor vehicle; Public passenger motor vehicle; or Rental motor vehicle. The motor vehicle registered for payment of travelling allowance and the requisite documents must be available for inspection at any time during working hours; or presented within a reasonable time determined by an authorised officer, the authorised officer being the Chief Audit Executive or their designate, certifying officer or any other person authorised by the Permanent Secretary. Jointly owned Motor Vehicles Where a motor vehicle is owned jointly by a travelling officer and another person, the Travelling Officer may register the motor vehicle for payment of travelling allowance by submission of the relevant documents listed at Instruction above. The declarations on the Entrusted Motor Vehicle Declaration Form shall not be required in these circumstances. Registration of a jointly owned motor vehicle shall be approved on the condition that the travelling officer has free and unencumbered use of the motor vehicle for the performance of their official duties and no travelling allowance is being claimed by the joint owner of the said motor vehicle; whether in the private or public sector. Responsibilities of Travelling Officers Travelling officers are required to sign the Travelling Officer’s Declaration Form, attesting to their knowledge and understanding of their responsibilities based on the Instructions therein. Unless the Travelling Officer’s Declaration Form or any other applicable form is duly completed, HRMD shall not issue instructions to the Accounts Department to effect payment of the travel allowance

SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCE When travelling on official duty, public officers are eligible to be paid a subsistence allowance at the appropriate rate prescribed from time to time. To be eligible, the public officer must have travelled a distance which exceeds eighteen (18) kilometres from his/her official place of work and must have been absent for a period of at least six (6) hours. Where it is envisaged that an employee has to stay overnight, an advance on the subsistence may be paid on the understanding that the appropriate bills will be submitted. Calculation of Subsistence Allowance The subsistence allowance will be calculated on the basis of the 24hour day and will be pro-rated for the number of hours of absence. Public officers who overnight, will be eligible for a full day’s allowance, irrespective of the number of hours of absence. If the public officer travels on official duty for a period which exceeds twenty-four (24) hours, the calculation will be 1/24th of the daily rate for each completed hour from the beginning to the end of the tour. Reimbursement for Actual Expenses Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments may reimburse officers actual expenses in lieu of subsistence on the presentation of bona fide vouchers reflecting reasonable rates, where the actual expenditure exceeds the current rates of subsistence.

ARE YOU Fatigue throughout the day How can you improve your GETTING Difficulty concentrating sleep habits? ENOUGH Mood changes Paranoia & hallucinations Try to spend some time SLEEP? Memory problems outdoors every day Unstable appetite Exercise Though it is often Red, puffy eyes, dark Be consistent with the time overlooked, sleep is a undereye circles you go to sleep and wake key part of maintaining Weakened immune system up, including on the your health. In fact, it is Weight gain weekends just as vital as exercise Loss of balance Reduce your intake of and a balanced diet. caffeine and alcohol What are the benefits of Don’t eat a big meal close There are many reasons getting enough sleep? to bedtime we sacrifice our sleep: At bedtime, keep your work, some late night Consistent energy levels bedroom dark and quiet - television, or spending Consistent weight or turn off the television and time with friends and weight loss put away other devices family; but adults Skin is clear and glowing Meditate typically require 7-9 Stable mood hours of sleep per night The ability to focus If your inability to fall asleep to best function. You wake alert and ready is chronic, see a doctor. Long for the day periods of sleep deprivation What does not getting You awake pain-free, with can be very dangerous to not enough sleep look like? the exception of chronic just you but those around pain or unrelated illness you too. Rest Well!

THE BEST DRINKS TO HAVE BEFORE BED Hot Cocoa A classic pre-bedtime beverage but hot cocoa isn’t to be confused with hot chocolate. Cocoa is powder without the fat from the cocoa butter. The drawback of hot chocolate is not just the caffeine but the sugar content. It also contains phenylethylamine, which causes a natural high. Warm Milk Calcium is known to aid restful sleep which is why many sleep experts recommend a nice warm mug of milk before bed! It is effective in stress reduction and stabilisation of nerve fibres, including those in the brain – plus the psychological link between milk and going to bed might be responsible for its sleep boosting properties. Herbal Tea A herbal tea like chamomile is a great option. It is believed to have a soothing effect is probably due to the flavonoid apigenin, a secondary metabolite. Valerian and peppermint teas are also known to relax the body and soothe the stomach. Cherry Juice Cherries are naturally high in melatonin, the hormone that triggers sleep and regulates your internal clock. Look for tart cherries since they have especially high amounts of melatonin and steer clear from supermarket cherry juice which are loaded with sugar.

Welcome to the Team! Nyekah Adams Corporate Services Director Samantha Bennett Danielle White Public Procurement Records Officer, Human Administrator, Public Resource Management Procurement Unit and Dev. Branch Aldon Currie Remonia Leach Coordinator, Coordinator, Urban/Renewal & Upgrading Program Urban/Renewal & Upgrading Program Candacie Francis Senior Land Policy and Monitoring Officer, Land Policy & Admin. Branch Congratulations on your Appointment! Janett Peters Odane Reid Nicole Warren Director, Strategic Director, Environment Senior Land Policy & Planning, Performance Monitoring Officer Policy Monitoring Monitoring and Jevaughn Roumell Lisa Jackson Evaluation Liaison Administrative Director, Facilities & Property Management Officer

Its a Round-Up of the Round-Up! See in this full travelling, [do you get] half of the section some excerpts from recent A's to your amount or full amount?” Q's. Remember: The HR E-Suggestion Box is Where an officer does not possess a Driver’s always open. License to obtain the full travelling, the officer will be paid the approved travelling “I would like to know the protocols for without a motor car. this building in terms of security. I have noticed that it is easy for anyone to have “Can an employee from the executive access to some departments. This can be branch who max his/her current pay dangerous as we are living in scale and who would have gained unpredictable times.” additional qualifications while in a post be promoted to a higher pay scale At present, when someone visits the any without the approval of his/her Minister's Ministry location (with the exception of 25 recommendation? If not, and for some Dominica Drive), the following steps should reason the Hon. Minister is preoccupied be taken: with more pressing issues of government, can HR make recommendation to the 1.The individual informs the security Minister on behalf of the said employee officer at the front desk the nature of for his/her pay scale to be updated?” business they wish to conduct. Generally, employees are not promoted to a 2.The security office then directs them to higher pay scale upon gaining additional customer service. qualifications. An employee who is entitled to a qualification increment and is at the top 3.Customer service then logs the of their pay scale, is instead given a personal individual’s information & calls the pensionable allowance equal to the value of respective department and notifies them the increment. that there is someone needing assistance. This type of allowance is only granted to 4.Someone from that respective employees in established posts, and posts department should then go to customer attached to a Minister’s Office are not service to retrieve the individual and included in the Civil Service Establishment escort them to the department. Act. Nevertheless, all employees are eligible for any salary revision applicable to their At 25 Dominica Drive there are other post which is approved during the period of considerations. The building is shared with their engagement by the Ministry of Finance other entities and as a result it is difficult to and the Public Service. control traffic to any meaningful degree (Full response in Nov. 30, 2021 Round-Up) “If a post comes with travelling and you are acting in the post, [but] you do not have a General driver's license to obtain

MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND JOB CREATION PREPARED BY THE HRM&D BRANCH PUBLISHED MARCH 2022