Increased Travel Per Diems for Kosher Travelers?

[LAX_Esq]

Are companies required to (by law) or generally do (bc it's the right thing and/or they don't want to look discriminatory) increase per diems to accommodate kosher travelers?

My wife works for a big defense contractor and never travels for work but has a 1st and rare business trip coming up. Her company, like any defense contractor, strictly follows the government per diem schedule ( https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates ). They just give you that amount, no questions asked, no receipts, no more, no less.

Obviously, getting fresh, healthy kosher meals costs way more than getting regular food. Sure, she could go to the grocery store and eat packaged junk food with a hechsher for cheap. But fresh, healthy kosher meals are not cheap -- not to mention the cost of getting it delivered. Does a company have any obligation to accommodate kosher travelers and pay for reasonable meal expenses that may exceed the per diem amounts?

If this were a small company, I'm sure she'd just submit receipts and explain the situation and her manager or the accounting department would just sign off on it. But at a big bureaucratic company like hers, I assume nobody is in a position to rewrite the rules and the answer is "too bad, suck it up, the rules are the rules" and it would be some huge ordeal even ask for some exception.

Curious to hear any anecdotal experiences from people who have dealt with this.

[PlatinumGuy]

Why not also request higher salaries to accommodate higher tuition and cost of life?

[LAX_Esq]

Why not also request higher salaries to accommodate higher tuition and cost of life?

C'mon, I'm sure you know why the analogy fails. The employer is requiring you to travel. The employer isn't dictating where you live or where you send your kids to school.

[CountValentine]

Never heard of any exceptions and I did a ton of government travel. If she is covered by a union, you would need to see if anything like that is covered in their contract.

Also, there is someone at her company that approves travel and reimbursement. There are things like travel time they can fudge to make up for certain situations.

[LAX_Esq]

Never heard of any exceptions and I did a ton of government travel. If she is covered by a union, you would need to see if anything like that is covered in their contract.

Also, there is someone at her company that approves travel and reimbursement. There are things like travel time they can fudge to make up for certain situations.

Not sure bureaucrats in the accounting department of gummint contractors are in the business of fudging stuff; they all seem totally inflexible about anything and like saying no using the excuse that they can't b/c they may get audited by the gummint.

Also, what could theoretically be fudged re travel time? The GSA guidelines are that you get 75% of the daily meal rate on the first and last day of travel. If you have a business trip departing Monday at 5am and get home Tuesday at 11pm, you get a 75% per diem for both days. If you leave Monday at 7pm and Tuesday at 10am, you get the same 75% for both days. Dumb and ridiculous, but I guess this prevents fudging travel time.

[Joel]

Are companies required to (by law) or generally do (bc it's the right thing and/or they don't want to look discriminatory) increase per diems to accommodate kosher travelers?

My wife works for a big defense contractor and never travels for work but has a 1st and rare business trip coming up. Her company, like any defense contractor, strictly follows the government per diem schedule ( https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates ). They just give you that amount, no questions asked, no receipts, no more, no less.

Obviously, getting fresh, healthy kosher meals costs way more than getting regular food. Sure, she could go to the grocery store and eat packaged junk food with a hechsher for cheap. But fresh, healthy kosher meals are not cheap -- not to mention the cost of getting it delivered. Does a company have any obligation to accommodate kosher travelers and pay for reasonable meal expenses that may exceed the per diem amounts?

If this were a small company, I'm sure she'd just submit receipts and explain the situation and her manager or the accounting department would just sign off on it. But at a big bureaucratic company like hers, I assume nobody is in a position to rewrite the rules and the answer is "too bad, suck it up, the rules are the rules" and it would be some huge ordeal even ask for some exception.

Curious to hear any anecdotal experiences from people who have dealt with this.

Think of it,
What amount are you currently getting per day? what do you need if keeping "Kosher"?  decide if your time is worth it.

[LAX_Esq]

Think of it,
What amount are you currently getting per day? what do you need if keeping "Kosher"?  decide if your time is worth it.

It's the principle. ... and for a road warrior, it would add up.

[JuryDuty]

What are standard daily rates?

[LAX_Esq]

What are standard daily rates?

You can play with the GSA website if you're curious, but for DC, it's a about $80. Which means you get about $60/day (75% of the daily rate) for the first and last days of your trip. In other words, if you leave early on a Monday and return home late on a Tuesday, you still only get $60 for each of those days.

[JMHO]

it's a about $80. Which means you get about $60/day (75% of the daily rate) for the first and last days of your trip.

Sounds good to me! Where do I sign up

[yelped]

You can play with the GSA website if you're curious, but for DC, it's a about $80. Which means you get about $60/day (75% of the daily rate) for the first and last days of your trip. In other words, if you leave early on a Monday and return home late on a Tuesday, you still only get $60 for each of those days.

To give my unsolicited opinion, it sounds like you shouldn't be such a Yekke with any of your handlings with them. It is just not good business practice and not good for you in the long run. I recall you posting something regarding else where you had a similar outlook. Just be more loose and easy-going.

[tzifanya54]

You can play with the GSA website if you're curious, but for DC, it's a about $80. Which means you get about $60/day (75% of the daily rate) for the first and last days of your trip. In other words, if you leave early on a Monday and return home late on a Tuesday, you still only get $60 for each of those days.

Depending on the locale, $80 a day is not unreasonable even for kosher. Can she get a steak dinner? No. She would get decent meals though. I used to worked for a frum company that gave half of that…. For company mandated travel.

[PlatinumGuy]

To give my unsolicited opinion, it sounds like you shouldn't be such a Yekke with any of your handlings with them. It is just not good business practice and not good for you in the long run. I recall you posting something regarding else where you had a similar outlook. Just be more loose and easy-going.

לעולם יהא אדם רך כקנה ואל יהא קשה כארז, ולפיכך זכה קנה ליטול הימנה קולמוס לכתוב בו ספר תורה תפילין ומזוזות

[CountValentine]

Also, what could theoretically be fudged re travel time?

That can add an extra hour for travel time to/from the airport. They can code your pay as overtime for travel on a NS day. There are many ways.

[LAX_Esq]

That can add an extra hour for travel time to/from the airport. They can code your pay as overtime for travel on a NS day. There are many ways.

This only works if the employee is hourly / non-exempt. Wife is salaried and a exempt, so she doesn't get overtime.

[CountValentine]

This only works if the employee is hourly / non-exempt. Wife is salaried and a exempt, so she doesn't get overtime.

I was just giving examples. These rules are not written in stone. I am going to guess her travel is being paid by the contractor and not the government. They can do what they want.

[LAX_Esq]

I was just giving examples. These rules are not written in stone. I am going to guess her travel is being paid by the contractor and not the government. They can do what they want.

I get what you're saying in theory, but I don't think there's much for the company fudge in her situation or that anyone has any authority to fudge anything in her situation. Yes, her travel is being paid for by the contractor and not the government. She doesn't even work on a government program; her job is internal for the company itself. Could they company reimburse her whatever they want for travel expenses? Sure. Would they? No. Bureaucratic government contractors have sufficient red tape to prevent anyone from deviating from standard guidelines without tremendous hassle.

[CountValentine]

Bureaucratic government contractors have sufficient red tape to prevent anyone from deviating from standard guidelines without tremendous hassle.

This is not correct. I have dealt with many employees from Lockheed Martin. In many ways their reimbursements where better than the GSA guidelines. I am not talking theory, this is real life situations.

What is her company's policy for miscellaneous reimbursement without receipts? 

[LAX_Esq]

This is not correct. I have dealt with many employees from Lockheed Martin. In many ways their reimbursements where better than the GSA guidelines. I am not talking theory, this is real life situations.

What is her company's policy for miscellaneous reimbursement without receipts?

Interesting and good question, but I'm not sure what you could misc reimbursement w/o receipts for... taxis in and around town?

[CountValentine]

Interesting and good question, but I'm not sure what you could misc reimbursement w/o receipts for... taxis in and around town?

You sit down with the person who has to approve the travel. You explain the situation to the person. If the person agrees with what you are saying, then they can approve say $20 miscellaneous expenses each day to cover the extra cost of the food. No receipts or documentation is needed.

I used to have a problem getting reimburse for taking a limo to/from the airport. I showed them where in my area taxis where unreliable. After explaining the situation, I had no more issues.