Article 34
Travel

Within 15 work days of the effective date of this agreement, a Committee of management and union representatives will meet to discuss issues relating to travel. The Committee will be formed consistent with Article 14A, and will meet on an on-going basis prior to decisions being made regarding headquarters policies, and will issue recommendations.

Section 34.01

Normally, no employee will be required to schedule or arrange for travel outside of the employee's regular duty hours. When travel outside the regularly scheduled work week is essential, overtime may be paid to exempt employees only when the travel:

A. involves performance of actual work while traveling;

B. is carried out under such arduous and unusual conditions that the travel is inseparable from work; and

C. results from an event that could not be scheduled or controlled administratively.

Section 34.02

In accordance with the Travel and Transportation Reform Act of 1998, employees will use a government-issued charge card for travel unless the employees have an exemption. The employee's personal credit history is not the basis for the issuance of the card.

A. DOE will provide employees with a point of contact who can provide information on the use of the travel charge card.

B. Employees are not required to use the credit card for those activities exempted by GSA: meals, phone calls, parking, laundry/dry cleaning, local transportation systems, taxis, tips, where an employee's application for a card is pending, individuals traveling on invitational travel, new appointees.

C. DOE will consider individual exemptions to use of the credit card on a case by case basis. Employees will submit a request with an explanation of the reason for the exemption to the Chief Financial Officer via the Head of the employee's organization. DOE will issue exemptions to employees who establish that use of the card would create a hardship for the employee. If the exemption is granted, the agency will provide the employee a method for payment of travel expenses, e.g., advance the employee the necessary funds to cover travel expenses.

D. DOE will reimburse employees within 30 calendar days after a proper voucher is submitted to the approving official. In the event that the agency fails to reimburse an employee for allowable expenses within 30 calendar days, the agency will pay the employee late payment fees using the prevailing Prompt Payment Act Interest Rate beginning on the 31st day after the required payment date and ending on the date on which payment is made. In addition, if the agency fails to make timely reimbursement of a proper travel voucher, the agency will pay the employee any late payment charge that the card contractor would have been able to charge the employee had the employee not paid his or her bill.

E. DOE will notify the employee within 7 calendar days of receipt of the travel voucher and will explain any error in the voucher that would prevent reimbursement within 30 calendar days of submission of the voucher.

F. If an employee loses his or her travel card privilege for whatever reason, the agency will provide assistance to ensure that the employee is not responsible for paying expenses for authorized travel from his or her personal funds. If the employee has lost travel card privileges because of personal failure to reimburse the credit card company or through abuse of the credit card, the employee will take appropriate steps to settle all outstanding obligations and submit a request for restoration of the travel card privileges.

G. DOE will brief employees in a formal meeting on its policies concerning the mandatory use of the travel charge card. The briefing will include a discussion on the appropriate use of the charge card and when the travel charge card must be used.

H. Employees who are using a travel card may receive a cash advance for authorized travel on the credit card through a bank or automated teller machine. The agency will pay all cash advance fees and charges.

Section 34.03

The Employer agrees to reimburse employees when in travel status for per diem and mileage expenses incurred by them in the discharge of their official duties to the maximum extent allowable by law and regulation.

Section 34.04

An employee who is assigned to training or duty away from the employee's regularly assigned post of duty, and who elects to return home during non-work days, will be reimbursed for travel not to exceed the amount reimbursable for the per diem if the employee had remained away from home.

Section 34.05

Government travel regulations and DOE travel policies will be available for employee review at DOE Headquarters travel offices and on the DOE home page.

Section 34.06

Gainsharing is a program through which DOE employees who travel can earn cash awards if they save the agency money. The program is entirely voluntary. Employees are not required to participate. Within 30 days of the effective date of this agreement the travel committee will meet to design a gainsharing pilot program for the headquarters. Features of the program will include rewarding employees who save the agency money on lodging and airline tickets. The committee will develop the program within 60 days of the effective date of this agreement.

Section 34.07

NTEU will be formally notified of any changes the agency proposes to make to travel policies or procedures and will have an opportunity to bargain prior to implementation of any changes.