Policy Statement
Employees on travel status will be reimbursed for meals purchased as per this policy.
Application
This policy applies to all employees of Government departments.
Bargaining unit employees should also consult their respective collective agreements and the provisions of the collective agreement shall prevail.
Definitions
| Headquarters Area | an area within a radius of 20 kilometers from an employee’s workplace |
| Travel Status | the absence of an employee from headquarters on government business with the prior approval of the Deputy Minister |
Responsibilities
Department
It is the responsibility of individual departments to:
- monitor the cost of meals;
- approve, where appropriate, higher meal allowances for employees traveling in foreign locations.
Employee
It is the responsibility of employees to:
- submit claims for meals in a timely manner;
- ensure the cost of meals covered by conference or other fees are not submitted for payment; and
- notify the Employer where there is a possibility that meal claims may be higher than allowed under these provisions.
General Information
Employees may claim for breakfast when they are required to be on travel status 2 hours or more prior to the beginning of their regularly scheduled workday.
Employees may claim for dinner when they are unable to return to headquarters or place of residence until at least 2 hours after the end of their regularly scheduled workday.
Employees may not claim for meals, while on travel status, where the cost of meals is included as part of another reimbursable item (i.e., conference fee, transportation cost).
Employees on travel status must have traveled outside the headquarters area in order to claim for meals.
Employees on travel status may only claim the actual amount charged for meals where they are required to use accommodations or eat meals at facilities arranged or maintained by government.
Meal Rates
| Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL | 9.60 | 16.80 | 26.04 | 52.44 |
| Other Provinces | 12.18 | 19.68 | 28.38 | 60.24 |
| USA | 12.18 ($US) | 19.68 ($US) | 28.38 ($US) | 60.24 ($US) |
| Other | 13.50 | 21.54 | 31.20 | 66.24 |
Special per diem allowances for meals for foreign travel may be approved by the Deputy Minister. In applying this policy, the Deputy Minister may reference, as a guide, the Federal Treasury Board Travel Directive (Appendix D – Allowances – Module 4 (International Meal Rates). These listed meal rates may be reimbursed without receipts.
Where employees are obliged to incur meal costs that are higher than the established meal rates, they may be reimbursed the actual and reasonable expenses of the meal(s), based on receipts and the prior approval of the Deputy Minister.
Last Policy Update: February 7, 2023