Page Comparison

Support Pocket Money for per diem. See Allowance Rule

Support meal deduction percentages based on time out of office. See Deduction Rule

This feature allows users to enter the actual time leaving and returning to the office. Similar to the default meals per diem setup, up to four allowance rules may be created for the out of office tracking of the Meal Per Diem expense type. This is done by selecting the minimum and maximum hour ranges for each of the "Out of Office" labels in the Per Diem Hours tab (This tab will not display until Per Diem Hours field is set to Yes and expense type has been saved). For example, if a user is only to be paid a full days meals per diem rate when they are out of office more than 15 hours, a row would be added to the Per diem Hours tab for "All Day" with a minimum of 15.01 and maximum of 24. The hour maximum and minimum must be between 0.00 and 24 and have no overlapping times.

1. In the Per Diem Hours Enabled field, select Yes

2. In the Meals Provided field, select Yes if you would like meals provided deducted from the user's total. Otherwise, set this field to No

3. Meals Provided Label - Add a Label for this field

4. Click Save

5. Click the Per Diem Hours Enabled tab on the bottom windowpane 
6. Add up to four ranges for time out of office

See Allowance Rule for managing allowances

Multiple City Same Day Travel

Meals Per Diem expense types with Per Diem Hours enable allows enabled allow for multiple city same day travel. When this occurs on an expense report the Per Diem allowance will either a single highest or lowest Per Diem rate for this days travel, depending on system setup.

This is a "How to" scenario to aid in setting up the new features added to support European Unition Union (EU) meals per diem requirements. The scenario will provide an example case and demonstrate how the administrator would setup the per diem meals Expense type with hour tracking enabled, the Allowance rules with "pocket money" enabled, and Deduction Rules with a percentage deduction based on an employees duration out of the office.

Note: The new functionality does on affect existing meals per diem setup and has been added to support meals per diem regulations in EU.

 DATABASICS has added functionality to accommodate meals per diem setups that require:

1. The ability to track time for Per Diem Meals expense types (when enabled). This allows tracking of time out-of-office down to the minute on expense entry. Departure and Arrival times are then used to calculate the per diem rate based on user duration out of the office.
2. The ability to apply a percentage deduction per meal provided that is based on the user's time out of the office.
3. The ability to support "Pocket Money" an incidental charge that is percentage added on top the per diem rate.

Please note this example is only to aid in the setup of the new meals per diem features added in version 5.5.1. For meals per diem setups that do not require these features please refer to the standard per diem setup outside this example.

The following is an overview of how the meals per diem setup with track actual time, pocket money and meals deduction based on hours may look during setup. These steps demonstrate

• Step 1 the expense type setup with per diem hours tracking enabled

• Step 2 the allowance rule setup with pocket money support

• Step 3 the deduction rule setup with meals deduction percentage based on user's time out of office

Example Requirements

Allowance Rule Requirements for example: This will be referenced in (Step1 and Step 2)

          A. If the employee stays over 18 hours abroad

               Employee will be assigned with full per diem rate

          B. If the employee stays over 12 hours abroad and less than 18 hours

               Employee will be assigned with 3/4 or 75% per diem rate

          C. If the employee stays over 4 hour abroad but less than 12 hours

               Employee will be assigned with Half Day or 50% per diem rate

          D. If the employee stays from 1 hour abroad but less than 4 hours

               Employee will be assigned ¼ or 25% per diem rate

Pocket Money Requirements for example: This will be referenced in (Step 2)

          Employee will receive a 20% Pocket Money added to the per diem rate.

          Per diem rate * .20 = Pocket money amount

Meals Deduction Requirements for example: This will be referenced in (Step 3)

 If there is a meal (which is included e.g. in the accommodation costs) provided during the trip, following deduction is made - for each meal provided:

          i. 70% deduction from the per diem rate for each meal provided

             If the employee stays over 1 hour abroad but less than 4 hours

          ii. 50% deduction from per diem rate for each meal provided

             If the employee stay over 4 hours abroad but less than 12 hours

          ii. 35 % deduction from base PDR for each meal provided

             If the employee stays over 12 hours abroad and less than 18 hours

          iii. 25 % deduction from base PDR for each meal provided

             If the employee stays over 18 hours abroad

Step 1:

Hours tracking is an optional setting that is selected on the initial setup, by default hours tracking is set to "No." This step shows hour to configure the hours mapping for "Per Diem Meals Only" expense types that have per diem hours enabled.

1. 1. Expand Expense by clicking on the plus sign.
   2. Click Expense Type
   3. Click on the Add button.
   4. Fill in the following fields:
      1. Format Type*: Select Meals Per Diem Only.
      2. ID*: Enter an ID for the Expense Type. The maximum length of this field is 20 characters.
      3. Name*: Enter a name to identify the expense type. The maximum length of this field is 100 characters. 
      4. Expense Group*: Select the expense group from the drop down associated with the expense type.
      5. Icon: Select an icon for this expense type
      6. Restrict Access: 
         1. Yes - If the expense type will be restricted based on OBS or WBS assignment. This can pertain to a specific group or individual.
         2. No - If the expense type will be available for all. 
      7. Require Notes*:
         1. No - Notes field on expense type is optional.
         2. Yes - Notes field on expense type is required before the expense can be saved.
      8. Currency*: 
         1. Yes  - If user needs to specify a currency with the amount provided. An exchange rate field will appear if currency is different than users home currency. This is determined on the employee profile.
         2. No - User will not have the option to select a currency and will default to the employee's home currency.
      9. City*: (Note: Yes, must be selected if: this is a per Diem expense type; if an expense policy rule will be created comparing this expense type to the rates in the per Diem tables; or if VAT taxes may apply to this expense type.):
         1. Yes - If employees must select a city when entering this expense type.
         2. No - If no city field will appear for selection when employees enter this expense type.
      10. Allow Modify Description*:
          1. No - If description field is not needed on the expense type.
          2. Yes - If description field is needed on expense type and user is able to update the description text. This field is defaulted to the expense type name.
      11. Description: Enter text to further identify the expense type. This field is limited to 255 characters.
      12. Recurring Charge*:  
          1. Yes- Date Range - If you want to enable date range copy of the same charge, for example, hotel room for 5 nights.
          2. Yes- Number of Units- If you would like the users to enter a number of units, i.e. the number of days instead of a date range
          3. No - If a date range for the expense is not available.
      13. Template Expense Type: This is used for OCR matching. If the receipt can be scanned and recognized as the category selected in this field, it will select the expense type. 
      14. Online Help - Connect a website to the application through the help button at the bottom of the screen.

      15.  Tax Included - Allows users to indicate if tax should be auto calculated or manually entered. This is dependent on Tax 1 Code and or Tax 2 Code field to be selected. If auto compute is expected, a rate will need to be set up in the Tax Rate set up.

          1. No - If users do not have the option to choose how the taxes would be computed.
          2. Yes - If users have the option to have application auto compute the taxes based on the business amount if the Tax set up is completed, or users have the option to manually type in the tax amount.
             1. With this option, the users will see the "Tax Included" box that will be checked by default. If this box is left checked, the amount put into the business field will business amount + tax and the application will split it out based on the tax set up.

             2. If the "Tax Included" box is unchecked, then the tax(es) will be auto computed based on the business amount and the tax set up.

             3. Users can uncheck the "Auto Compute Tax" Field to enter in the tax(es) manually.

          3. Tax 1 Code (and Tax 2 field): Indicate whether a tax field will be present for this expense type (set up in Taxes) 
      16. Per diem Hours Enabled: Only shows up if format type is set to "Meals Per Diem Only"
          1. Yes - When Per diem expense type requires tracking of user actual time out of the office.

          2. No - By default the field will be set to No but keep as No if user does not need to track the actual time out of the office.

             Once the field is selected and saved the value can no longer be updated.

      17. Meals Provided:
          1. Yes:
Enter in a label to be shown to user and also check the box "*Meal Provided" if users will need to indicate while meals were provided. 
2. Meals Provided Label: Enter in a label to be shown to user
3. Full Day: Enter in a label to the shown to the user and also check the box "Enable" if the option will be available for users to choose from for Out of Office. This is based on the Allowance Rule setup.
Three Fourths Day: Enter in a label to the shown to the user and also check the box "Enable
4. 1. 1. 1. If a user is allowed to indicate if any of the meals during the day were provided, and the applicable deductions will apply to the daily per diem rate, In some cases this field used to indicate which meals a user actually took during the date and the rest of the meals can be deducted from the daily meals per diem rate
         2. No: If a user does not have an option to indicate if any of the meals during the travel day were provided. 
      2. Meals Provided Label: Enter in a label "Meals Provided" or "Meals Taken", to match with the setup
      3. Full Day: Enter in a label to be shown to the user and also check the box "Enabled" if the option will be available for users to choose from for Out of Office. This indicates for how long a user was traveling, fully day or part of the day. This is based on the Allowance Rule setup.
Half
5. 1. 1. Applicable deductions may apply if it was not a full day
      2. Three Fourths Day: Enter in a label to
the
6. 1. 1. be shown to the user and also check the box "
Enable
7. 1. 1. Enabled" if the option will be available for users to choose from for Out of Office. This is based on the Allowance Rule setup.
One Forths Day: Enter in
8. 1. 1. Typically this field is used for the 1st/last day of travel where 75% percent auto deduction may apply
      2. Half Day: Enter in a label to
the
9. 1. 1. be shown to the user and also check the box "Enable" if the option will be available for users to choose from for Out of Office. This is based on the Allowance Rule setup.
Default First
10. 1. 1. One Fourth Day
*: Select the value defaulted for the first day. For example, if the first day gets 50% of the per diem, select the out of office set up for 50%. This could be the half day option depending on the allowance rule set up
11. 1. 1. : Enter in a label to be shown to the user and also check the box "Enable" if the option will be available for users to choose from for Out of Office. This is based on the Allowance Rule setup.
       2. Default First Day*: Select a value from the "Out Of Office" options to default on the first day of travel (one of the options from the above: Full Day, 3/4 day, 1/2 day and 1/4 day above), the default option could be set to automatically deduct 25% from the full daily meal, just because it is a first day and it does not count as the full day of travel. For example, customers will configure 3/4 fay option with 75% allowance rule and will default this option as the first day of travel. a corresponding allowance rule needs to be setup.
       3. Default 1 Day*:  
Select the value defaulted for the days in between. For example, if the second day gets 100% of the per diem, select the out of office set up for 100%. This could be the full day option depending on the allowance rule 
12. 1. 1. Select a default value from the Out of Office options  (one of the options from the above: Full Day, 3/4 day, 1/2 day and 1/4 day above) if the travel was a 1 day travel, typically if the duration is not more than a day, then a full per diem is not granted and a corresponding allowance rule needs to be set up.
       2. Default Last Day*: Select
the value defaulted for the last day. For example, if the last day gets 25% of the per diem, select the out of office set up for 25%. This could be the one Forths day option depending on the allowance rule set up
13. 1. 1. a value from the "Out Of Office" options to default on the last day of travel (one of the options from the above: Full Day, 3/4 day, 1/2 day and 1/4 day above), the default option could be set to automatically deduct 25% from the full daily meal, just because it is the last day and it does not count as the full day of travel. For example, customers will configure 3/4 fay option with 75% allowance rule and will default this option as the last day of travel. a corresponding allowance rule needs to be setup.
    2. Click Save to save this Expense Type.

    * Indicates a required field

These steps would need to be repeated for example allowance requirements B, C, and D to complete expense type hours mapping.

This completes the Expense type setup for this example. Next the Allowance Rule will need to be configured.

Step 2:

Please note the only change to the Allowance setup is the addition of the "Pocket Money" column. By default the Pocket Money column will be set to "0.00" for all new and existing per diem allowances. Below we have listed the Pocket Money requirements for this example and the steps will show how to set this allowance up for an example Operating Unit name "EUROPE"

Pocket Money Requirements
          Employee in the "EUROPE" operating unit will receive a 20% Pocket Money added to the per diem rate.

          Per diem rate * .20 = Pocket money amount

1. Expand Expense
2. Expand Per Diem Setup
3. Click Allowance Rule
4. Click the Add button
5. In the Effective Date field, select when this allowance rule will become effective. For this example and effective date of "01/01/2024"
6. In the Operating Unit field, select an operating unit if the allowance will only apply to one home operating unit. For this example, the allowance rule will only apply to the operating unit named "EUROPE".
7. The next 3 fields Country, State and Traveled City allow the allowance setup to be restricted to specific location(s). For this example, the Country, City and State fields will be set to "---", this applies the allowance rule to all countries, states and cities for the "EUROPE" home operating unit.
8. In the Out Of Office field, select All Day.
9. In the Per Diem Type field, select Meals Per Diem Rate
10. In the Rate Type field, select Percentage of per diem
11. In the Currency field, select currency if needed. For this example the currency field will be left empty
12. In the Value/Percentage field, set value to "100," since All day in step "A" is 100% of the per diem rate
13. In the Pocket Money % field, select the incidental amount the user will receive on top of the per diem rate. For this example, the Pocket Money we changed from the default "0.00" to 20 so the employee will receive an additional 20% on top of the per diem rate.
14. Select Save

To complete the Allowance rule setup for this example the steps would be repeated cases B, C, and D of the Allowance rule requirements listed above.
This completes the Allowance rule setup with a 20% addition of Pocket Money. The next and final setup for the example is to setup the Deduction Rule.

Step 3:

As listed in example the Meals Deduction Requirements are as follows:

          i. 70% deduction from the per diem rate for each meal provided

             If the employee stays over 1 hour abroad but less than 4 hours

          ii. 50% deduction from per diem rate for each meal provided

             If the employee stay over 4 hours abroad but less than 12 hours

          ii. 35 % deduction from base PDR for each meal provided

             If the employee stays over 12 hours abroad and less than 18 hours

          iii. 25 % deduction from base PDR for each meal provided

             If the employee stays over 18 hours abroad

The example requirements call for a percentage deduction to be applied per meal that is provided to the user, but as listed above the percentage will change depending on the users amount of time out of office. For example, if we look at requirement "i" we can see that a 25% deduction is applied for each meal that is provided if a user is out of the office a full day. So, if a user takes 2 meals there would be a deduction of 50% applied to the per diem rate (25% for meal 1 and 25% for meal 2 = 50%)
The following steps will show how the deduction rules are setup for requirement "i" when a "Breakfast" meal is provided to a user and that user has enough hours for a "full day" per diem rate.

1. Expand the Expense menu
2. Expand the Per Diem Setup menu
3. Click Deduction Rule 
4. Click the Add button
5. In the Effective Date field, enter date from which this deduction will be effective. For this example, the effective date will be "01/01/2024"
6. For this example, the Country, City and State fields will be set to "---", this applies the deduction rule to all countries, states and cities.
7. In the ID field, select [Breakfast Provided Rule Based]. This tells the system to apply this deduction for the breakfast provided check box on the expense type.
8. In the Value Type field, select % of original rate for full day. This tells the system to apply this deduction if the user was out of the office for a full day.
9. In the Breakout Flag, select Yes, apply to adjusted per diem rate
10. In the Value/Percentage, enter "25". This applies the 25% deduction for this meal as state in "i" of example requirements.
11. For the example the Currency field left empty.
12. In the Per Diem Type field, select Meals Per Diem Rate
13. Select Save

These steps will need to be repeated for all meals provided options (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) and for all of the out of office options (*% of original rate for full day, % of original rate for ¾ day, % of original rate for ½ day, % of original rate for ¼ day*) to complete the Deduction rule step.

This completes the example of the Hours Tracking and Pocket Money Example.

Once the setup is completed an additional setup change will need to be made by DATABASICS to allow incidentals, if applicable.