There are several businesses that require their employees to travel. It’s just how some things get done. To be honest, it’s a perk for most people who work a job that includes travel. Assignments, even though they have a well-defined business goal, allow one to get out of the office and drive some stress away.
There are several days in almost anyone’s life where staying the night in a hotel room alone could be great therapy. Nonetheless, there are a few questions that make sense to ask each and every time you travel for business, no matter what company you work for. Below are three of them.
What If I Have An Accident?
If you travel long enough for work, it is most likely that you will eventually encounter an accident of some sort. Whether it be a fender bender or a more traumatic encounter, there are a few things you need to make sure to do. These will make any future legal proceedings much easier to navigate.
First, make sure you are ok and that anyone else involved is safe. Second, call the authorities. The local police and ambulance service can be reached through the 911 service. While they are in route, if it is possible, move your vehicle out of the way of oncoming traffic. Third, get the insurance information of the other driver.
Then, take as many pictures as you can. These should include pictures of any damage to your car, the other vehicle involved, any property that was damaged in the process, and pictures of any injuries incurred would be helpful, as well. Finally, make sure to include every detail you can in your report to the police and obtain a copy of the record for yours and your employer’s records.
How Do I Keep Record of My Expenses?
When traveling for the company you work for, it’s a good habit, plain and simple, to keep stellar records of all expenditures. However, there are some who are not sure what to include. Your business’s Accounts Payable will look for some particulars. First, they are going to want to know that there are a requestor and an approver and who each is.
This keeps the accountability of the responsible parties. Second, are there any receipts and were the originals provided? Third, are your travel expense forms filled out correctly? Make sure to list any and all expenses, put them in the proper categories, make note of any tax that was paid, and separate any charges that are not covered by your employer.
How Will I Be Reimbursed?
There are many times that an employee will pay sometimes several hundred dollars out-of-pocket to fund a business trip. How might you be reimbursed for that? Many companies will issue a company credit card to those who have to travel frequently for the company.
This keeps the employee from having to come up with any money on the spot. Make sure to keep up with your companies policies though. You may still need to retain receipts. Quite a few businesses would rather just have you bring in the receipts, tally the total and deposit the funds electronically into your account.
There are also some that will only give you a certain allowance per day. Then, you as the employee, are charged with making responsible decisions about where to spend it and how much to spend. Most companies will even allow you to keep the extra if you underspend.
Traveling for work can be a rather welcomed respite. Refer here often to answer questions that will help keep it easy going.
Originally posted on March 15, 2018 @ 7:27 am