SmallBusinessNewz

After taking my first business trip, I wrote down all the hours I thought I'd worked and turned in my timesheet.  About 20 minutes later, my boss brought the timesheet back and told me to put in for more pay.  This was quite nice, but things can also go in the other direction, and so small businesses may want to create travel policies.

Suppose I'd decided to try out a different city's finest dining establishments.  Or rent a luxury car (the hotel was right next to the conference center).  Only common sense, and not any written documents, ruled these options out.

An AllBusiness article suggests, "When devising a travel policy, make sure you include all typical travel-related expenses, such as food, lodging, transportation, and business entertainment, and have your legal representative carefully review it before printing and distributing it to employees."

Furthermore, to avoid arguments and/or starving workers, "It's also a good idea to hold a meeting once or twice a year with your most frequent travelers to ensure the policy is working for them."

There's no rule saying that a written policy has to be a hateful thing, anyway.  Consider tossing in some sort of provision for occasional room service or a better-than-average meal to keep everyone happy.