Why create a travel policy?
Clear guidelines mean fairness for all and can positively impact travelers and the company.
Benefits for travelers
- Flexibility and autonomy for employees to book their travel within guidelines
- Safety first! (Travelers’ whereabouts are tracked)
- Make sure to avoid confusion and hassle with travel booking.
Benefits for the company
- Reduce spikes in travel spending and gain control.
- Reduce friction and frustration over expenses and reimbursements.
- Increase fairness and foster a positive company culture.
Travel request and booking process
- Employees are kindly asked to plan their trips well in advance. And to submit their travel requests at least 6 weeks before departure.
- Employees who require work-related travel must fill . Please make sure to follow the explanation and tag your direct manager.
- Travelers should verify that planned travel is eligible for reimbursement before making travel arrangements.
- The approval process for trips exceeding policy limitations requires written approval from the direct manager.
Reimbursements and Per-Diem
- Employees seeking reimbursement should incur the lowest reasonable travel expenses and exercise care to avoid impropriety or the appearance of impropriety.
- Travelers must submit a travel reimbursement form within 30 days of completing a trip.
- An individual may not approve their travel or reimbursement.
- Reimbursement process 1. Fill out the Travel reimbursement report and submit it with supporting invoices. Or submit the request through Deel. 2. The receipts must be a clear scan/photo or a digital receipt. 3. This could be done during the trip or after (taking into consideration processing time).
Non-reimbursable purchases
- Any personal purchases such as gifts, souvenirs, etc.
- Personal consumption items such as perfumes and alcohol.
- Employee’s private extension of the stay
- In cases where this is an option, the employee’s personal guests’ expenses
Per Diem
- The company will reimburse traveling employees 70$ per day for the entire duration of the trip.
- The purpose of this allowance is for meal expenses and in-city travel.
- The Per Diem does not cover the employee’s private extension of the stay. Personal traveling will be paid for entirely by the employee.
- Tips are part of the per diem allowance and will not be reimbursed.
- Wifi access is part of the Per-Diem.
Expense Categories
Here are allowable expenses for major bookings to prevent unnecessary costs and denied reimbursements.
Flights
- Travelers are expected to book the most reasonably priced airfare that meets their travel needs.
- Booking flights at least 5 weeks ahead is recommended to avoid high airfare prices. Finalize bookings at least 4 weeks before the trip. If other circumstances arise, a manager must approve the travel.
- The Company’s employees shall fly in economy class unless otherwise approved by the direct manager. Feel free to upgrade using your personal money/Air miles if you'd like to.
- Benefits like extra legroom or entrance to an airport lounge will be granted to employees whose journey is over 8 hours.
- Consider the value of your time when making travel decisions. Don't over (or under) optimize for cost; it's not worth it taking a more extended, non-direct flight to save $50, or taking a 6 am flight and then spending money on a taxi to get to the airport.
- The Company will not grant preference to one airline over another based on accumulated mileage bonuses. As long as the flight tickets are purchased based on business considerations, as described above, the employee can benefit from the flight bonus. Please note that the employee is responsible for managing their frequent flyer mileage.
Accommodation
- The hotel room should be rated ״business room” in a 3-4 stars hotel, with breakfast included.
- Hotel services (room service, mini-bar, laundry…) are at the employee’s expense.
- Use of hotel amenities (gym, swimming pool, sauna…), if they cost extra, are at the employee’s expense.
- Inviting family members is prohibited unless specified or approved by a direct manager. When a family member joins, the employee will cover additional costs.
- The employee should carefully check the hotel invoice, including the phone bill, internet, etc.
- Finalize bookings at least 4 weeks before the trip. If other circumstances arise, a manager must approve the travel.
Transportation
- The company fully pays for train or bus transportation to and from the airport. Taxis may be used if the other options take significantly longer or the cost difference is low. Use discretion when making the decision.
- Inside the city - if required for work, it will be paid by the company or reimbursed. Other transports are part of the daily allowance.
- Travels to other cities in one trip - if required, will be fully paid by the company (for personal trips, there is no reimbursement).
- The company will pay for travel by train to other locations, provided that the cost does not exceed the cost of the least expensive airfare.
- All invoices must be collected and submitted with details to the travel expense report.
Car rental
- Vehicle rental as a primary mode of transportation is authorized only if the rental vehicle is: 1. More economical than any other type of public transportation 2. If the destination is not otherwise accessible.
- Travelers must have a valid driver’s license for the country (or countries) they visit.
- Drivers must adhere to the rental requirements, and restrictions must be followed.
- The car should be booked in advance as possible, not later than 10 days before departure.
- Car class will be Mini, Economy, Compact, or Standard.
- The gear type will always be Automatic unless no such option is available. Or, the automatic option is significantly less economical. (use discretion and consult the manager before booking).
- Car insurance is mandatory and will be paid by the company. Insurance coverage must be the maximum range offered. Upon pick-up, the employees must check that the insurance matches company standards.
- To save costs, the employee must verify that the car is returned with a full gasoline tank. Any additional charge for failing to return the vehicle with a full gas tank will be at the employee’s expense.
- Parking and toll fees, for work purposes only, will be reimbursed.
- The Company will not pay any traffic fines.
- The employee will cover any applicable additional costs unrelated to the employee's business travel purposes, such as upgrades, gasoline, and fines.
Entertainment
Clients Entertainment
- Entertainment is only to promote the Company’s business.
- Entertaining other employees of the Company, its subsidiaries, subcontractors, agents, or consultants must be cleared with a manager in advance and in writing. Otherwise, it will not be reimbursed.
- Entertaining clients should be prior approved by the direct manager. The name of the client’s guests and the entity they work for should be noted on each entertainment invoice and in the expenses report.
- Go to the bottom of the page for entertainment during offsites.
Insurance
- The employee is responsible for having travel insurance with any provider and coverage of their choice.
- The employee must include in the insurance policy coverage for the company computer. If this coverage is unavailable in the employee’s country, it must be approved by a manager.
- The company will reimburse the employee for the insurance cost of up to 15$ per day.
Other
- The company will prepay conference fees. If the price is not prepaid, it will be reimbursed, including business-related banquets or meals that are part of the conference registration. However, such meals will be deducted from the traveler's daily sustenance allowance (the Per Diem).
- Local SIM/eSIM card - The company will grant an eSim from the first day with the Airalo platform as a default. If the employee doesn’t have a device supported by Airalo, the company will reimburse the employee for purchasing a SIM card and cellular plan (up to 20$ per traveler per week).
- The company will reimburse visa expenses up to 100$. This can be changed under the direct manager’s consideration. Please check the “Company offsites & teams offsites” section for company and team offsite visa reimbursement.
Company offsites and team offsites
Generally, all the policy guidelines also apply on offsites, except for slight changes due to it being an internal company event.
Booking process
- The decision of scheduling an offsite will be under the team lead/department manager, as they hold the department’s budget.
- The team is kindly asked to plan their trips well in advance, at least 6 weeks before departure.
- Team leads will create an event in the travel platform (currently, we use Navan) and will invite the team through the platform to make their individual flight bookings.
- Team members flying from the exact location are encouraged to book their trip together.
- Team leads will be responsible for making sure all booking arrangements are sorted for all the relevant employees.
Accommodation
- Depending on team size and planned content for the offsite, consider a hotel that has a suitable meeting space or find a separate co-working space for team meetings and work.
- Each team member will get a private room.
Per Diem
- In team and company offsites, a Per Diem is not applicable due to food and transportation arrangements being fully paid for by the company.
- The team lead and offsite organizer are responsible for giving the team member the option to have 3 meals a day.
Entertainment
- We strongly encourage teams on offsites to organize a fun activity, do some sightseeing, and in general, spend time together. Yet, as we have a limited budget per travel, we kindly ask the employees to pick their entertainment the way that best meets the company budget (ie. spending $500/night for 3 nights in a fancy hotel and not leaving funds for entertainment).
Visas
- The company will fully reimburse all visa expenses for company offsites and team offsites.
Travel support and duty of care
- We suggest taking a look at while organizing yourself for traveling. This general list serves as a suggestion and inspiration tool for you when you pack for travel.
- Please ensure your passport condition and the date didn’t expire and that the remaining time until the expiration date is compatible with the regulation. Check for tears, stains, or any other defects.
- Make sure to check health restrictions and pack equipment and documents accordingly. (ie. Covid 19 vaccination documents and masks).
- If you have problems with our travel booking and expense platform (”Navan”), please check .
Personal safety and Cybersecurity
Safety
Assessing risk before trips
Before every travel, please conduct a travel risk assessment, and keep the following aspects in mind:
- Would I be safe at that destination, considering my religion, gender, or sexual orientation?
- Overall health situation – Are there any mandatory vaccines or epidemics I should be aware of?
- The destination’s political climate – Are there any street demonstrations, changes of power, or political unrest?
- Safe forms of transportation – Would reaching the final destination pose any risks?
- Weather - Are there extreme weather conditions in the destination I’m going to?
- Traveling routes - please make sure to be eligible to enter/ pass through the countries mentioned in the traveling route.
Please consult your direct manager if you answered ‘yes’ to one of those questions.
Precautions against common theft
Visitors can be easy targets for pickpockets and scammers. Seemingly harmless requests (to sign a petition, to buy a friendship bracelet) can be excuses to distract you while an accomplice takes your wallet or belongings.
- Secure your passport and valuables away from easy access.
- Don’t flash a lot of currency or credit cards.
- Be watchful about strangers — even innocent-looking children or families —approaching you.
- Don’t leave your bags in a hire car, which can be a focus for thieves.
- Don’t let seemingly “helpful” locals watch or carry your luggage for you.
Prevent being targeted for violent crime during your travels
Foreigners often stand out, so don’t make yourself an easy target.
- Use your planning tools and/or trusted local advisors to identify and stay clear of dangerous areas.
- Don’t hang around on the street with your mobile phone or an open map. Go into a busy café or shop to plan your route.
- Avoid over-indulging in alcohol, which makes you more vulnerable.
- Steer clear of public disputes, demonstrations, or political rallies, where you might become an unintended victim of hostility.
Cybersecurity
Be mindful of it ❗
First of all, adopt a mindful and suspicious mindset. This is the most important tip, as most of us are not Cybersecurity professionals, and we tend to forget. Below you’ll find a bunch of tips that will assist you in developing this approach.
Install updates
Before you hit the road, vulnerability patching is especially critical since cybercriminals may look to exploit known weaknesses.
Leave unnecessary devices behind
The more you carry, the more attention you need to keep to every thing. Travel light and take only the essential devices and valuables with you.
Keep any device you bring with you
The less time the device spends alone, the better. Here are some tips:
- Keep it with you at all times or safely secure in the room’s vault. Don’t leave it sitting out in the hotel room.
- Don’t use it to reserve a table at Starbucks while running to the bathroom.
- Be extra attentive when using an Uber or on public transportation, so you don’t forget anything behind you.
Lock your device
A device should be locked and protected by a password, pin, fingerprint ID, or facial recognition whenever a device isn't in use. Even if the user plans to stop using the computer for just a few moments while they chat with a colleague, it’s better to lock the device. Sadly, threat actors need very little time to do severe damage.
Avoid sharing travel information with outside parties
Obviously, your family should know about your upcoming travels, but other than that, limit who else knows. This will help protect you from phishing.
Disable Bluetooth when not using
We won’t deny that Bluetooth is convenient. But it also allows nearby devices to connect and communicate with your user’s device, which can be trouble.
Disabling Bluetooth while not using it reduces risks and extends the battery life.
Consider the security of the Wi-Fi network
Using an unsecured public Wi-Fi network makes it easy for threat actors to collect personal information. (Which is why you should use a VPN). Malicious Wi-Fi networks (also known as hotspot honeypots) take things further, impersonating legitimate networks to steal sensitive information, like credentials and bank account details.
Use VPN
Regardless of how official the network is, users should connect to VPN whenever they use an unsecured public network. VPN acts as an encrypted tunnel, making information much harder to steal in transit.
Don’t use credentials on public computers
A public computer could have spyware or a key logger installed. That means if you log into work accounts, they’re basically handing over their credentials on a silver platter.
Report potential incidents
Report it to us immediately when you recognize an incident or suspect an incident. Don’t worry; it could happen to any of us, and we’re here to support you. If there’s one thing worse than a compromised device, it’s a compromised device you don’t know about.
FAQs
We use Navan as our only booking platform. Other booking platforms are not authorized.
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