Travel and Subsistence Policy - People, Digital and Policy - Date: April 2009, Updated EBM/ACE: 14 January 2010, 3 January 2023, February 2025 - Reviewed May 2025 - Review Date: April 2028

Scope and General Principles

1. Carmarthenshire County Council (the Authority) is committed to tackling climate change and acknowledges that as a large employer we have a significant role to play to cut our own carbon footprint including from business travel. In February 2019, we declared a climate emergency and made a commitment to becoming a net zero carbon local authority by 2030. 

2. In addition, the Authority is committed to the Welsh Government’s aim to support 30% of the Welsh workforce to work remotely. This would give more people the choice to work in a way that helps their productivity as well as their work-life balance. The benefits of working remotely include:

• a reduction in travel time and expense
• more flexibility and better work - life balance
• increased productivity
• less traffic, especially at peak times
• less air and noise pollution
• the opportunity to redesign our towns and city centres

3. This policy sets out the procedures for claiming travel and other expenses when you incur necessary and pre-approved costs in the course of your employment.  Where these differ in any way from National Conditions, the Local Conditions will apply. The policy applies to all employees and workers engaged under a casual agreement.  The same principles should apply to locally employed schools’ staff and Governing Bodies are recommended to adopt this policy. This policy will be subject to periodic review and subsequent amendment. 

4. The basic principle of this policy is that work-related travel should be considered a last resort.  All other forms of communication including virtual meetings via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, telephone, etc should be considered before any travel is undertaken.  When travel is required then the cheapest or most effective form of travel will be paid for.  Public transport may be the cheapest method of travel but may not always be most effective if, for example, timetables do not fit with meeting times or where the amount of time spent travelling could be considerably reduced if you travel by car. In these circumstances the means of travel should be agreed with your line manager in advance.   Where a disability may impact on your travel options, this needs to be considered, and reasonable adjustments discussed with your line manager. Examples of when an “in person” meeting may be appropriate, in line with our Hybrid Working Guidance, include:

• Where there is a statutory requirement for “in person” meetings.
• Where attendees do not have access to or appropriate skills to utilise the necessary technology.
• Where a disability may preclude someone from using technology to communicate.
• To establish and maintain work relationships e.g. new employees who need to meet colleagues to assist with their induction to the Council, to support an employee’s health and wellbeing, to maintain team morale.
• Where training can only be provided from a fixed location or face to face e.g. manual handling training.
• Some employee relations meetings where the trade union and/or employee request to meet at a location to ensure fair representation.
• Some meetings with service users. 
• Site inspections required during the course of normal duties.
• Some democratic meetings with elected members.
• Some Occupational Health appointments, e.g. HAVS surveillance. 

5. This document must be read in conjunction with section 11 of the Authority’s Financial Procedure Rules covering Travelling and Subsistence expenses, the Road Risk Policy and Meal Allowances (Appendix A).  You are reminded that falsification of claims for travelling and/or associated expenses will be regarded as Gross Misconduct and may put your employment at risk.

6. In accordance with para. 12.4 of the Financial Procedure Rules the normal starting and finishing place for official journeys will be the location where you are contractually based (not from home if you are a hybrid worker). Where you start a journey from a location other than your contracted base or end a journey at a location other than your contracted base, the mileage claimed should be limited to the additional mileage incurred because of their official duties. Please see examples at Appendix B.

7. In accordance with para. 12.5 of the Financial Procedure Rules completed claims must be approved by a signatory approved by the Chief Officer electronically via MyView where possible. Claims for reimbursement of all expenses must be supported by relevant VAT receipts. You should not certify their own expenses claims. Late submissions will be authorised at the discretion of the authorised signatory. VAT receipts must be provided to your line manager and retained for all claims in line with financial retention periods. These can be provided electronically where you are working remotely.

8. You should check the reasonableness of the costs of a non-standard journey, meals or an overnight stay, with your line manager in advance and before booking or making arrangements.

9. If the Director or nominated officer of a service does not believe the costs to be reasonable, they have the right to apply an upper limit or to refuse the claim. You should then be given the opportunity to re-submit your claim in line with what has been reasonably agreed.

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