1. Eligibility & Purpose

📌 Qualifying Circumstances
✅ Employees may be eligible for travel expense reimbursement when assigned a task that:

• Falls outside their regular job responsibilities.
• Requires travel beyond their normal work location.
• Has prior written approval from their Supervisor and Operations Manager.

🚨 Unapproved travel expenses will NOT be reimbursed. Employees must obtain approval before incurring any travel-related costs.

2. Expense Reimbursement Guidelines

📌 Mileage Reimbursement Rate
✅ For approved travel, employees will be reimbursed $0.70 per mile.
✅ Mileage reimbursement is based on the actual business-related miles traveled, excluding an employee’s normal commute distance.

📌 Eligible Travel Expenses
✅ Employees may submit requests for reimbursement of:

• Business-related mileage (excluding normal commute).
• Other company-approved expenses excluding gas purchases.

🚨 Gas receipts are NOT reimbursable since mileage reimbursement covers fuel costs.

3. Expense Request Submission Process

📌 Step 1: Submit an Expense Request
✅ Employees must submit a formal expense request to their direct Supervisor before reimbursement can be considered.

📌 Step 2: Required Information for Approval
✅ The expense request must include:

• Date of travel or expense.
• Starting location.
• Destination.
• Odometer reading at the start and end of the journey.
• Total miles traveled (excluding normal commute distance).
• Receipts for eligible expenses (excluding gas receipts).
• Brief explanation of the business purpose for the expense.

🚨 Incomplete or missing information may result in delays or denial of reimbursement.

4. Approval Process

📌 Step 1: Supervisor Review
✅ The direct Supervisor will review the expense request to verify:

• The travel or expense was necessary and approved in advance.
• The mileage and expense calculations are accurate.

📌 Step 2: Operations Manager Final Approval
✅ Once approved by the Supervisor, the request is forwarded to the Operations Manager for final approval.
✅ The Operations Manager will confirm:

• The expense qualifies for reimbursement.
• The amount is correctly calculated.
• The submission follows company policy.

🚨 Expenses submitted without prior written approval will not be reimbursed.

5. Reimbursement Processing

📌 Step 1: Processing Time
✅ Upon final approval, the approved travel reimbursement will be processed and included in the employee’s next paycheck.

📌 Step 2: Employee Responsibility
✅ Employees should track all approved expenses and mileage logs for their records.
✅ Any discrepancies or missing reimbursements must be reported to HR or the Operations Manager immediately.

🚨 Reimbursement will ONLY be issued through payroll—cash or alternative payments will not be provided.

6. Compliance & Accountability

📌 Employee Responsibilities
✅ Employees must:

• Obtain prior approval before incurring expenses.
• Submit complete and accurate expense reports in a timely manner.
• Follow mileage reimbursement guidelines to avoid miscalculations.

📌 Supervisor & Operations Manager Responsibilities
✅ Supervisors must:

• Review and verify travel expense requests.
• Forward only eligible requests to the Operations Manager.
  ✅ The Operations Manager must:
• Ensure consistency and fairness in reimbursement approvals.
• Authorize reimbursements that meet company policy.

📌 Consequences of Non-Compliance
❌ Failure to obtain prior approval may result in denial of reimbursement.
❌ Providing false or exaggerated mileage claims may lead to corrective action or termination.
❌ Repeated failure to follow the submission process may impact future travel reimbursement eligibility.

🚨 Westside Market is committed to a fair and transparent reimbursement process to ensure accountability and proper compensation for approved travel expenses.

7. Summary: Key Takeaways

✔ Employees must obtain prior written approval before incurring travel expenses.
✔ Mileage is reimbursed at $0.70 per mile (excluding normal commute distance).
✔ Gas receipts are NOT reimbursable—mileage reimbursement includes fuel costs.
✔ Expense requests must be submitted to the Supervisor with required details.
✔ Operations Manager must approve the final reimbursement request.
✔ Reimbursements will be processed through payroll and included in the next paycheck.

By following this Travel & Expense Reimbursement Policy, Westside Market ensures proper documentation, fairness, and compliance with company standards.

Here is the Form