But you can avoid getting stuck in a reimbursement quagmire. Some employees end up in trouble with the regulations while they re trying to be good. To avoid this and many other travel reimbursement perils, follow the rules. The government requires that travel arrangements be made through the commercial travel office or travel management center under contract to an employee s organization or through an in-house travel office. Korman had checked her reimbursement rate not once, not twice, but six times before she spent the money for temporary lodging while relocating.
Bad information can t obligate the government to pay for something the law doesn t cover.
Know the law. Every regulation, every city-pair contract carrier, every per diem rate, every travel tidbit can be found on the Web. Look it up and print it out, says GSA travel trainer Nancy Murphy. Don t rely on the word of others. The majority of reimbursement disputes arise not about temporary duty travel but about relocation expenses.