COVID-19 travel policy amendment, effective today.
Update to COVID-19 policy amendment, as drafted by the staff and vetted with the Board of Directors.
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Bradley M. Kuhn
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# Software Freedom Conservancy Travel and Reimbursable Expense Policy
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## COVID-19 Travel Policy Amendment, 2020-03-27
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## COVID-19 Travel Policy Amendment, 2022-07-25
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In this difficult time, Conservancy is committed to reimbursing both employee and volunteer travelers who canceled program-related travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please keep in mind that Conservancy is a small charity, and we ask travelers to help us save the most money for Conservancy's projects. You can do this by maximizing the value for cancellations and by avoiding or reducing reimbursements when the vendor of the travel service offers credit and refunds.
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The travel hiatus instituted by Software Freedom Conservancy from 2022-03-27
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through 2022-07-25 has been lifted. In its place is the following amendment
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to our policy, effective 14 July 2022:
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This Policy will remain in effect indefinitely. We will officially rescind this Policy after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided. Check back to our travel policy page for the rescinded date before you submit canceled travel reimbursement or book any new travel.
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Software Freedom Conservancy recommends against travel due to the risks to
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travelers and others from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic/epidemic. No
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volunteer, contractor or staffer is required by SFC to undertake any travel
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whatsoever at this time. Those travelers who have evaluated the risks and
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still choose to travel may be reimbursed under our standard policy. As such,
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travelers will personally assume any additional expenses or liability arising
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from the travel and their exposure to COVID-19, including extended hotel
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stays, medical fees or any other unexpected expenses due to illness.
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### New Travel Hiatus
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In addition to the expenses reimbursed in the travel policy, Conservancy will
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reimburse any traveler up to four COVID-19 home tests used to assess the
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safety of travel or whether the traveler should isolate or increase their mask
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usage. Conservancy will also reimburse the purchase of one N95 or KN95 mask
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for each day of travel. Conservancy strongly recommends wearing high quality
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masks at all times during funded travel that the traveler is indoors in the
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same room as other people, and outdoors when in close proximity to other
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people.
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No new travel may be **booked** for reimbursement for Conservancy without explicit preapproval directly from Conservancy's Executive Director. Any travel booked without such preapproval during the hiatus period will not be reimbursed. If you need such preapproval, please write to the approvals queue and describe why the travel warrants an exception to this Policy. Ask your PLC for the contact information if you don't have it.
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Canceling travel due to a good faith decision in light of a positive COVID
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test or due to a case surge either locally or at the travel destination will
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be considered a valid reason for cancellation under the policy (see
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Cancellation Fess below).
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Canceled trips due to COVID-19 pandemic will be reimbursed as follows.
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### Trivial Amounts Exception
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If the entire cost of any specific item is less than or equal to US$150, you need not provide additional documentation for cancellation. Simply submit the expense with the documentation as required under the main travel policy, and include a statement that asserts you did not travel (e.g., "I am submitting a request for reimbursement for Conservancy-related travel for PROJECT which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.")
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Note that the US$150 limit is for five different items: US$150 for airfare, US$150 for hotel/accommodations, US$150 for ground transportation, US$150 for visa fees, and US$150 for conference registration fees.
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This limit may be further reduced by any overall budget set by your project. For example, Outreachy interns, whose travel budget is typically $500 total, may not exceed a $500 reimbursement in any event.
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### Airfare
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Most airlines are offering flight credit for canceled flights, although some are offering full refunds. Typically, you **cannot** receive this credit or refund unless you phone the airline.
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If your airline's online system does not offer a refund or flight credit, please phone your airline and request a refund. If the airline refuses a refund, ask for flight credit. Many airlines have written policies on their website, such as [Delta's](https://www.delta.com/us/en/advisories/coronavirus-travel/overview).
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Please take notes during your call, including the name of the agent, any confirmation number they give you, the date by which your credit must be used, and the amount of the credit. Most airlines are offering credit for use within one year of the purchase and/or travel date.
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Submit to Conservancy for reimbursement the following four things:
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* Your original flight search
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* Your original receipt
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* A document officially from the airline that shows that flight(s) is/are canceled
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* Your notes (or if possible, written documentation from the airline) documenting your attempt to receive refund/credit. The notes should include when you called, who you talked to, what you requested, of what refund and/or credit you received (if any) and when it expires
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These items must be submitted in full no less than 90 days after your original first date of travel. We will not reimburse if submissions are not timely.
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If all documentation is in order and the submission is timely, Conservancy will reimburse on usual NET-30 terms the amount you paid out-of-pocket to the airline. If you received flight credit, **you may not use the credit for personal travel** unless you return that amount to Conservancy. We encourage you to use this credit for Conservancy travel. We will track the flight credit on our books, and expire it on the date of expiration. You will be given a new accounts-payable (A/P) ticket to use with an expiration set to the date of your credit expiration. Please be sure to use that ticket for any reimbursement that includes your flight credit. If you ultimately do not travel for Conservancy and/or your member project before the expiration, the ticket will expire and we'll move the funds off our books.
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In the unlikely event that your airline has a written policy that they are offering no future flight credit nor refunds for COVID-19 cancellations, you can submit that as documentation for reimbursement in lieu of documentation of your phone call.
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### Hotels
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Most hotels are offering full refunds, even for advance purchase, non-refundable rates. For example, here is [Hilton's policy](https://www.hilton.com/en/corporate/coronavirus/).
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In our experience, even smaller non-chain hotels are offering refunds if you phone to request them.
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For prepurchase hotels, where your original receipt shows that the fare was a prepurchased and non-refundable rate, please follow the procedures above for flights to seek a refund and/or credit.
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For nonprepurchased hotels, for example, those that have a cancellation period before arrival, it is your responsibility to cancel these in a timely manner. Conservancy will not reimburse for hotel costs where you failed to take advantage the free cancellation period.
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In the unlikely event that you were scheduled to travel immediately before COVID-19 cancellations began (e.g., if you were scheduled to travel the first week of March), and you had to cancel too quickly and were charged by the hotel, please follow the non-refundable fare procedures.
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### Ground Transportation
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Cancellation policies vary for ground transportation (such as trains). Please follow the rules for airfare in this case.
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### Visa Fees
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Visa fees are generally non-refundable in any event, and our research has shown that most countries are not refunding visa fees for canceled travel due to COVID-19. Accordingly, you may submit your full visa fee receipt for reimbursement pursuant to the main travel policy.
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### Conference Fees
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We have yet to hear of a conference that is not refunding conference registration fees for individuals. However, in the unlikely event that the conference you sought to attend is not refunding, please follow the airfare refund/credit documentation procedures above.
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### M&IE Per Diem
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All other items of reimbursement are typically covered by M&IE Per Diem. No items that are typically covered by M&IE Per Diem are reimbursable if you do not travel, and therefore only the items listed in this document are currently covered for COVID-19 cancellations. If you incurred other expenses not explained here, please write back to your A/P ticket and explain the situation.
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### Other Difficulties
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Please contact us via your reimbursement ticket if for some reason it is impossible or very difficult for you to follow this Policy.
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For reference, the COVID-19 policy that was in effect from 2020-03-27 to
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2022-07-25 is included at the end of this travel policy.
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## Overview
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@ -741,3 +700,81 @@ The Conservancy reserves the right to change any terms of this Policy
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from time to time. The Policy of record shall be the Policy most recently
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distributed by the Conservancy.
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## COVID-19 Travel Policy Amendment, in effect from 2020-03-27 until 2022-07-25
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*The remaining section below is no longer in effect*. It is kept here for
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those who traveled and/or booked travel between 2020-03-27 to 2022-07-25 for
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reference, as this amendment was in effect during that time.
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In this difficult time, Conservancy is committed to reimbursing both employee and volunteer travelers who canceled program-related travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please keep in mind that Conservancy is a small charity, and we ask travelers to help us save the most money for Conservancy's projects. You can do this by maximizing the value for cancellations and by avoiding or reducing reimbursements when the vendor of the travel service offers credit and refunds.
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This Policy will remain in effect indefinitely. We will officially rescind this Policy after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided. Check back to our travel policy page for the rescinded date before you submit canceled travel reimbursement or book any new travel.
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### New Travel Hiatus
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No new travel may be **booked** for reimbursement for Conservancy without explicit preapproval directly from Conservancy's Executive Director. Any travel booked without such preapproval during the hiatus period will not be reimbursed. If you need such preapproval, please write to the approvals queue and describe why the travel warrants an exception to this Policy. Ask your PLC for the contact information if you don't have it.
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Canceled trips due to COVID-19 pandemic will be reimbursed as follows.
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### Trivial Amounts Exception
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If the entire cost of any specific item is less than or equal to US$150, you need not provide additional documentation for cancellation. Simply submit the expense with the documentation as required under the main travel policy, and include a statement that asserts you did not travel (e.g., "I am submitting a request for reimbursement for Conservancy-related travel for PROJECT which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.")
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Note that the US$150 limit is for five different items: US$150 for airfare, US$150 for hotel/accommodations, US$150 for ground transportation, US$150 for visa fees, and US$150 for conference registration fees.
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This limit may be further reduced by any overall budget set by your project. For example, Outreachy interns, whose travel budget is typically $500 total, may not exceed a $500 reimbursement in any event.
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### Airfare
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Most airlines are offering flight credit for canceled flights, although some are offering full refunds. Typically, you **cannot** receive this credit or refund unless you phone the airline.
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If your airline's online system does not offer a refund or flight credit, please phone your airline and request a refund. If the airline refuses a refund, ask for flight credit. Many airlines have written policies on their website, such as [Delta's](https://www.delta.com/us/en/advisories/coronavirus-travel/overview).
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Please take notes during your call, including the name of the agent, any confirmation number they give you, the date by which your credit must be used, and the amount of the credit. Most airlines are offering credit for use within one year of the purchase and/or travel date.
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Submit to Conservancy for reimbursement the following four things:
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* Your original flight search
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* Your original receipt
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* A document officially from the airline that shows that flight(s) is/are canceled
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* Your notes (or if possible, written documentation from the airline) documenting your attempt to receive refund/credit. The notes should include when you called, who you talked to, what you requested, of what refund and/or credit you received (if any) and when it expires
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These items must be submitted in full no less than 90 days after your original first date of travel. We will not reimburse if submissions are not timely.
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If all documentation is in order and the submission is timely, Conservancy will reimburse on usual NET-30 terms the amount you paid out-of-pocket to the airline. If you received flight credit, **you may not use the credit for personal travel** unless you return that amount to Conservancy. We encourage you to use this credit for Conservancy travel. We will track the flight credit on our books, and expire it on the date of expiration. You will be given a new accounts-payable (A/P) ticket to use with an expiration set to the date of your credit expiration. Please be sure to use that ticket for any reimbursement that includes your flight credit. If you ultimately do not travel for Conservancy and/or your member project before the expiration, the ticket will expire and we'll move the funds off our books.
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In the unlikely event that your airline has a written policy that they are offering no future flight credit nor refunds for COVID-19 cancellations, you can submit that as documentation for reimbursement in lieu of documentation of your phone call.
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### Hotels
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Most hotels are offering full refunds, even for advance purchase, non-refundable rates. For example, here is [Hilton's policy](https://www.hilton.com/en/corporate/coronavirus/).
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In our experience, even smaller non-chain hotels are offering refunds if you phone to request them.
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For prepurchase hotels, where your original receipt shows that the fare was a prepurchased and non-refundable rate, please follow the procedures above for flights to seek a refund and/or credit.
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For nonprepurchased hotels, for example, those that have a cancellation period before arrival, it is your responsibility to cancel these in a timely manner. Conservancy will not reimburse for hotel costs where you failed to take advantage the free cancellation period.
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In the unlikely event that you were scheduled to travel immediately before COVID-19 cancellations began (e.g., if you were scheduled to travel the first week of March), and you had to cancel too quickly and were charged by the hotel, please follow the non-refundable fare procedures.
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### Ground Transportation
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Cancellation policies vary for ground transportation (such as trains). Please follow the rules for airfare in this case.
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### Visa Fees
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Visa fees are generally non-refundable in any event, and our research has shown that most countries are not refunding visa fees for canceled travel due to COVID-19. Accordingly, you may submit your full visa fee receipt for reimbursement pursuant to the main travel policy.
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### Conference Fees
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We have yet to hear of a conference that is not refunding conference registration fees for individuals. However, in the unlikely event that the conference you sought to attend is not refunding, please follow the airfare refund/credit documentation procedures above.
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### M&IE Per Diem
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All other items of reimbursement are typically covered by M&IE Per Diem. No items that are typically covered by M&IE Per Diem are reimbursable if you do not travel, and therefore only the items listed in this document are currently covered for COVID-19 cancellations. If you incurred other expenses not explained here, please write back to your A/P ticket and explain the situation.
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### Other Difficulties
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Please contact us via your reimbursement ticket if for some reason it is impossible or very difficult for you to follow this Policy.
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