3.00 Special Travel

Travel for such purposes as employment interviews, field assignments and temporary assignments is commonly limited by departmental budgets and/or the terms of contracts and grants. No commitment for reimbursing these and other forms of special travel should be made without first consulting the appropriate department head or laboratory director to ascertain that such reimbursement is authorized.

The following special travel policies are for guidance in the normal operation of the Institute. Similar policies for programs and laboratories with special needs should be on file with the Travel Office.

3.01 Employment Interview
Prospective employees may be reimbursed, if authorized, for travel expenses incurred in connection with an employment interview in Cambridge or elsewhere in accordance with the normal travel policy for employees.

3.02 Temporary Assignment
Occasionally, individuals are assigned to temporary duty outside the local commuting distance and must, therefore, maintain a local residence in addition to a permanent residence elsewhere. Such individuals who have approved arrangements may be eligible for travel subsistence and related expenses that are referred to as dislocation expenses which must be arranged in advance. However, strict IRS rules are in place with regard to the tax status of such reimbursement due to anticipated length of stay. To understand the implications, please see Appendix 1.

3.03 Field Site Assignment
When a staff member who was initially hired to work in the Cambridge area is assigned to work in an approved field site for assignments of more than 30 days but less than one year, he/she may be eligible for incentive compensation of 20% of his/her monthly salary and for subsistence reimbursement by means of a per diem rate. Please see section 2.07 for details.

For assignments, of more than one year (but no more than two years) the staff member may be eligible for incentive compensation of 20% of his/her monthly salary and a subsistence reimbursement by means of a per diem rate or may elect to be reimbursed for his/her moving expense and not be in travel status while at the site.

Changes in the revenue laws that may affect Dislocation or Field Site Assignments are covered in detail in Appendix I.

Approved field sites will be determined, in the case of Lincoln Laboratory, by the Director, and, in the case of campus laboratories, by the project supervisor in consultation with the Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs. The Personnel Office will initiate authorization through the Payroll Office to begin and to end the supplemental compensation.

3.04 Required Extra Commuting
Staff employees, who are not eligible to receive payment for overtime, may be reimbursed to cover transportation and meal expenses incurred when they are called to work on an emergency basis or their scheduled days off, or recalled to work after a normal day's work, up to the following limits:

Lodging: the actual cost of lodging in Cambridge area hotels as documented by original receipts
Transportation: Current prevailing IRS mileage reimbursement rate or the cost of public transportation as used
Food: the actual cost of food along with original receipts.

3.05 Spousal Travel
Spouses who accompany MIT employees on business trips for personal reasons do so at personal expense.

On rare occasions, a spouse will have a formal role in an MIT related event. In such circumstances, travel expenses for the spouse can be reimbursed by MIT.

MIT Required Procedure

Travel reimbursement for spouses must be approved in advance by the Provost Office.
Requests must be made in writing and should include a clear explanation of how the spouse’s presence will be part of the formal MIT-related program.

3.06 Compensation of Hourly Employees When Traveling on Business
See the Human Resources manual section, which can be found at: http://web.mit.edu/hr/compensation/travel.html