Surge Pricing Transport Claims Policy

Dear HR Community,

Nowadays, almost all private and public hire cars and taxis have surge pricing in place for travel during certain times of the day and night.

This puts pressure on companies that have to reimburse their employees when they travel for work.

For e.g., I have seen the same trip from office to place A costing $20 and that same day from place A back to the office costing $45.

Do you have any transport policy in place to manage these types of intermittent price increases for travel fares?

We are in the entertainment industry.

Thank you for your feedback/ suggestions.

Please indicate your views using the form below.

Gina

Do you have a surge pricing transport policy?

Yes: 10.71%

No: 78.57%

Perhaps: 3.57%

Not sure: 7.14%

Comments

We do not have such a policy and the company will reimburse all trips that are substantiated by receipts. – Jonathan

The company policy will reimburse any charges for the fact that they are traveling for work. If we want to manage the intermittent price increases, the company/management must be willing to allow the employees to wait until the price reduces, and at what rate is it considered reasonable? If you have a group of employees who does ground travel ever so often, perhaps a transport allowance might be worth considering. – Carol

No, we don’t have. Ours is on a fixed allowance basis for management staff, which is reviewed on a need-to basis. As for the sales and commercial staff, they can claim mileage ($0.75/km)- they claim based on their travel frequency. During this time, I believe mileage reimbursement is a better option. – Venny

We do not have any transport policy but we did inform our staff that the capped amount for each trip. They are aware of this and they will compare the fares before confirming their ride booking. – Elaine

At the moment, we cover the fare via the company Grab or Gojek app for those assigned to the closing shift. whatever the rates are, are charged to the company’s account. it is both for the safety and security of the employees. – Irene

We reimburse as per charge. Travel forms part and parcel of the employee’s responsibility. It would be unfair if he/she gets penalised for the surcharge. Maybe consider carpooling options? Ie if possible, employees going to the same venue will have to share a ride to reduce expenses. – Christine

Sample Transport Policy

Objective

To provide guidelines for employees who travel for business and to ensure that their transportation needs are met in a cost-effective and efficient manner while taking into account the surge in transportation fares during peak times.

Scope

This policy applies to all employees who travel for business purposes and require transportation.

Policy

1. Transportation Options: Employees are encouraged to use public transportation (buses, trains, and MRT), or company-provided transportation, such as rental cars or company-owned vehicles, whenever possible.
2. Booking Transportation: Employees are encouraged to book their transportation in advance to take advantage of lower fares. For bookings made at the last minute, employees should consider the availability of discounts, such as booking through corporate travel accounts or using discount codes.
3. Consideration of Time: Employees should consider the timing of their travel to avoid peak hours. Whenever possible, employees should avoid booking transportation during peak hours when fares are more expensive.
4. Reimbursement: Employees will be reimbursed for transportation expenses that are reasonable and necessary for business purposes, including the cost of transportation during peak hours. Employees must provide proper documentation, such as receipts, for all transportation expenses.
5. Approval: All transportation expenses must be approved by the employee’s manager before reimbursement.
6. Communication: Employees should communicate any issues related to transportation to their manager as soon as possible. This includes any delays or issues related to booking transportation.
7. Exception: In cases where using public transportation or company-provided transportation is not feasible or practical, employees may use ride-hailing services such as Tada, Grab, or Gojeck, provided that the cost is reasonable and necessary for business purposes.

Conclusion

This policy provides guidelines for employees who travel for business and aims to ensure that their transportation needs are met in a cost-effective and efficient manner while taking into account the surge in transportation fares during peak times. It is the responsibility of the employee to adhere to this policy and to communicate any issues related to transportation to their manager as soon as possible.

Please comment below