Covenant Health Collective Agreement 2024-2028

Article 20: Travel Expenses

1. For the purposes of calculation and administration of travel and subsistence expenses each Regular and Temporary Employee will be assigned to one of the following work locations. Designated work locations will be defined as follows:
   1. Facility:          
      applicable only to Employees working in or out of a facility.
   2. Office:    
      applicable only to Employees who provide services in the community or are assigned to a geographic location and work in or out of a regular office.
   3. Start Point:     
      applicable only to Employees who are assigned to a geographic area without a specific office, their designated work location shall be the centre of the geographic area.
   4. Site:    
      applicable only to Employees who work in multiple positions. Each Site shall be its own designated work location.
2.  
   1. When an Employee is required by the Employer to provide an automobile for use in their employment, they shall be reimbursed at the highest non-taxable rate allowed by Canada Revenue Agency for all required travel necessitating the use of their automobile. An Employee who is required to provide an automobile for use in their employment shall not be required to use an Employer-provided automobile in place of their personal automobile.
   2.  
      1. An Employee who is not required to provide an automobile for use in their employment shall use an Employer-provided automobile when directed by the Employer.
      2. When an Employer-provided automobile or alternate transportation is not available, an Employee may choose to drive their own automobile and they shall be reimbursed at the rate of fifty-five cents ($0.55) per kilometre or the kilometerage rate paid by the Government of Alberta, whichever is higher.
   3.  
      1. Where an Employee is required by the Employer to provide an automobile for use, on all days of work, the Employee shall be provided with parking proximate to their base location at no cost.
      2. Where an Employee is required by the Employer to provide an automobile for use on at least two (2) days per week but less than all days of work, the Employee shall be provided with parking proximate to their base location at fifty percent (50%) of the monthly cost of parking.
         
         Employees who currently do not pay for parking, shall be allowed to continue to not pay for parkinguntil such time as the Employee is no longer required to provide an automobile for use in their employment.
   4. Kilometerage and time shall be paid for all travel on Employer authorized business.
   5. Time spent traveling to the designated work location at the start of the day or returning from the designated work location at the end of the day, is on the Employee's own time and unpaid.
   6. When the Employee is required to start, or to end their work day at a location other than their designated work location, the travel is on the Employee’s own time unless the one way trip adds more than twenty (20) kilometres to their usual travel. Once the twenty (20) kilometre radius has been reached, the Employee will be paid kilometerage for the entire difference between their usual travel and the alternate route and time for their additional travel. Usual travel is considered the distance from the Employee’s residence to their designated work location.
   7. When an Employee who has an approved Hybrid or Remote Work Agreement travels to their Designated Work Location or returns from their Designated Work Location, mileage will not be paid.

3. Employees who are required to use their personal vehicles for Employer business, and to maintain business use insurance coverage as a result, shall be required to submit evidence of business insurance coverage when the vehicle is used on such business. The Employer shall reimburse the Employee as follows:

   Cost of Business Use Insurance Coverage $ __________ (Basic Age Group -  Good Record)

   Less

   Cost of Personal Use Insurance Coverage $ ___________ Basic Age Group - Good Record)

   =

   Reimbursement to maximum of $500.00

4. Except when an Employee applies for a position other than the one the Employee occupies at the time of the application, if the Employer requests an Employee to provide a driver’s abstract, the cost of obtaining the abstract shall be reimbursed by the Employer upon production by the Employee of proof of payment of the cost.

5. Subsistence

   Employees who are required to travel beyond a fifty (50) kilometer radius from the Site or fifty (50) kilometres from their designated work area [where that work area exceeds a fifty (50) kilometre radius from their Site] on business authorized by the Employer shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred as shown below, or in accordance with the Province of Alberta Regulations Governing Subsistence or Employer Policy, whichever is higher.

   1. Meals
              Breakfast    $13.00
              Lunch         $17.00
              Supper       $27.00
      Reimbursement for meals may be claimed as follows:
      1. breakfast, if the time of departure is earlier or the time of return is later than zero seven thirty (0730) hours; or
      2. lunch, if the time of departure is earlier or the time of return is later than thirteen hundred (1300) hours; or
      3. supper, if the time of departure is earlier or the time of return is later than eighteen thirty (1830) hours.
   2. Per Diem Allowance
      A per diem allowance of seven dollars and thirty-five cents ($7.35) may be claimed for each twenty-four (24) hour period while away from home.
   3. Accommodation
      Where an Employee requires overnight accommodations in conducting required or authorized Employer business, the Employee may claim reimbursement as follows:
      1. full reimbursement for approved hotel or motel accommodation upon the provision of a receipt;
      2. where no accommodation receipt is produced, a flat rate of twenty dollars and fifteen cents ($20.15) may be claimed in lieu of the allowance claimable under sub-section (i).
6. Miscellaneous Travel Cost
   1. Where it is necessary to use taxis or other transportation for travel on Employer business, the incurred costs shall be reimbursed by the Employer upon submission of receipts.
   2. Parking charges incurred while on Employer business shall be reimbursed upon submission of receipts.