New UW System Travel Rates Starting October 5
September 21, 2015
Dear WH&LA Lodging Member:
WH&LA has been in contact with UW System Procurement officials, and we recently learned of new changes to their travel rates and policies for lodging and meals for UW System employees traveling for UW System business. While we are not authorized to share their internal documentations, we are able to share the key points at this time, so that you may plan ahead. Please also note that this summary is not intended for forwarding to anyone outside of our lodging member properties.
To provide some background, back in 2011, the UW System Board of Regents were empowered with managing a UW System travel program that can be different and not connected to the state employees travel policies and per diem rates. Since then, a system-wide travel governance group was formed to look at the challenges, to develop new policies and a rate structure that better fits the unique needs of UW System travel, that attempts to overcome the limitations of the state per diem rates for UW System travelers, and to improve their partnerships with the lodging industry. Thus, there will be two separate structures for state-affiliated travelers: one for State of Wisconsin employees who are not affiliated with the UW System and the other for UW System-authorized business travelers.
For State of Wisconsin employees not affiliated with the UW System, the basic State Lodging and Meal Per Diem rates and policies for meetings, etc. apply. These rates changed July 1, and WH&LA previously provided a handy State Lodging & Meal Per Diem Rates overview to keep at the front desk and with your sales staff for easy reference.
For UW System travelers (estimated at over 40,000 people), the following will apply to all university-funded or university-sponsored travel, regardless of the funding source or traveler affiliation (such as employees, guests, consultants, students) starting
October 5, 2015:
- Lodging: the Federal Lodging Per Diem rates from the General Services Administration (GSA) and the federal departments of State & Defense for travel in Wisconsin will apply for travel starting on October 5, 2015. Reservations already confirmed at lower rates for dates after Oct. 4 must still be honored. WH&LA previously released an overview of Federal Lodging & Meal Per Diem Rates from the GSA that go into effect October 1, 2015, which you can use as a reference until the UW System provides materials.
- Meals and Incidental Expenses (M&IE): The Federal M&IE Per Diem Rates from the GSA will also apply, with the same chart used.
- The daily M&IE Per Diem allowance is based on the location where the traveler spends the night (as the federal rates have geographic and date differences)
- The UW System will be rolling out its internal "UW System TravelWIse" portal to allow its travelers to easily determine their maximum rates by location and date of travel.
- The authorized options for booking lodging will include Concur, Fox World Travel agents, and the lodging property directly.
- Online travel companies (OTCs) will continue to not be allowed for booking lodging.
- Travelers are allowed 75% of the daily M&IE Per Diem Rate on the first and last days of travel.
- Provided meals at a conference or meeting will be deducted from the M&IE Per Diem as a percentage (20% for provided breakfast, 30% provided lunch, 50% provided dinner)
- Lodging complementary breakfast meals are not required to be deducted from the daily M&IE allowance.
- A separate rate schedule and policies for food & beverage for UW sponsored events in Wisconsin includes $12 for breakfast, $18 for lunch, $30 for dinner, and $10 for breaks, with all noted rates inclusive of gratuity and service charges up to 20%.
While this does not attempt to be all inclusive in summarizing the new policies and rates, this does address a majority of the highlights available now. Should you have specific questions not addressed above, the following is the UW System representative to contact for further specifics:
Terri Gill,
System-wide Travel Manager & Contract Administrator
UW System
Phone: 608-263-0873
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