ICCF 2015-002: Reimbursement for ICCF Officials
Michael Millstone, General Secretary
Effective, January 1, 2016, ICCF should reimburse identified officials a fair and equitable rate for expenses incurred while conducted official ICCF business.
Proposal
Effective, January 1, 2016, ICCF should reimburse identified officials a fair and equitable rate for expenses incurred while conducted official ICCF business.
Rationale
ICCF Officials are volunteers, are asked to attend events (Congress, meetings, etc.), yet end up paying out-of-pocket for overall expenses. The present ICCF reimbursement scheme is not realistic, does not fairly reflect present transportation costs and options, and does not account for many expenses a business traveler incurs. In the 2009 Congress in Leeds, while discussing this subject, Neil Limbert, then Qualifications Commissioner said, “I do not mind volunteering my time and energy for ICCF, and while I am not looking to make any money, I also feel it is fair that I not have to spend any of my money in travel costs either”.
Other Comments/Considerations
The present reimbursement scheme provides official travelers 0.07 Euro per kilometer travelled based on point-to-point air miles computed from the nearest large commercial airport. This is the regardless of where the traveler lives or how far the traveler must go. Extra expenses normally incurred in official travel such as the following go unreimbursed:
- Transportation to the airport, train station, or other conveyance
- Tolls, parking, various travel-related fees (visa, for example)
- Meals
For Congress and other overnight meetings, ICCF does reimburse for a night of lodging, but depending on the choice of lodging, the lodging may offer breakfast as part of the room rate, but often not. In addition, this present reimbursement scheme does not reflect seasonal variations in travel costs or attendance in high cost-of-living areas.
Business travelers throughout the world operate on a per diem expense reimbursement rate scheme and schedule, including FIDE officials.
Proposal Scheme:
- Philosophy - travelers seeking reimbursement should incur the lowest reasonable travel expenses and exercise care to avoid impropriety or the appearance of impropriety. Travel and reimbursement for ICCF officials must be approved in advance by the President and Director of Finance (or General Secretary if for one of those individuals) and reviewed annually by the internal auditor.
- Airfare - Travelers are expected to obtain the lowest available airfare that reasonably meets business travel needs.
- Rail transportation - Travellers are expected to obtain the lowest available rail transportation ticket that reasonably meets business travel needs.
- Automobile – (Personally owned) - Reimbursement for use of a personal automobile is based on a €0.45 per mile mileage rate.
- Lodging - The cost of overnight lodging (room rate and tax only) will be reimbursed to the traveller.
- ICCF will reimburse lodging expenses at reasonable, single occupancy, or standard business room rates. When the hotel or motel is the conference or convention site, reimbursement will be limited to the conference rate.
- Meals (per Diem). Per Diem allowances are reimbursable.
- Per Diem rates are based on standard guidelines, which vary by city location. In addition to meals, these rates include incidental expenses such as laundry, dry cleaning, and service tips (e.g., housekeeping or porter tips). Incidental expenses, unless specifically cited, will not be reimbursed.
- Per Diem reimbursements are based on departure, return times over the entire 24-hour day, and are prorated accordingly.
If a free meal is served on the plane, included in a conference registration fee, built in to the standard, single hotel room rate or replaced by a legitimate business meal, the per diem allowance for that meal may not be claimed.
Receipts are not required for per diem allowances. Per Diem allowances are reimbursed after the trip is completed.
Parking - Original receipts are required for parking fees (including airport parking) totaling £25 or more. The lodging bill can be used as a receipt when charges are included as part of the overnight stay.
Tolls - Original receipts are required for tolls totaling £25 or more.
Miscellaneous transportation - Original receipts are required for taxi, bus, subway, metro, ferry and other modes of transportation if costs are £25 or more for each occurrence.
Per Diem Rates:
Per Diem rates are set by a number of companies and organizations for use by business travelers around the world. A sample of the rates for Cardiff, United Kingdom (site of the 2015 ICCF Congress) shows:
Meals provided are subtracted from the per diem rate as 25% for breakfast, 30% for lunch, and 45% for dinner.
Relevent Documentation
FIDE 03.2.1 - Expenses
FIDE will reimburse the reasonable expenses of all Presidential Board members and Auditor necessary to exercise their function as well as the other costs of the Secretariat. However, their travelling, hotel, and boarding expenses for meetings of the General Assembly, Executive Board and Presidential Board are normally borne by the organizing federation. Hotel and boarding expenses for Continental Presidents are borne by the organizing federation. Business class tickets will be reimbursed for Presidential Board members for air travel that exceeds 4 hours. When the host federation does not pay such expenses then FIDE shall pay these expenses.
Appendix F of the 2013 Congress Minutes – ICCF Financial Regulations (effective from 1.1.2014)
2.1 Out of pocket expenses incurred by members of the ICCF Executive Board during the discharge of their duties and necessary to their functions and also by other ICCF officials appointed to conduct ICCF’s activities may be reimbursed by the Finance Director subject to the submission of a suitable Claim for Expenses supported by appropriate documentation.
2.2 Allowances may be paid to members of the ICCF Executive Board and to other ICCF officials deemed appropriate by the ICCF Congress in order to assist attendance at the ICCF Congress and at Meetings of the ICCF Executive Board. Details of the allowances payable to members of the ICCF Executive Board and other ICCF deemed appropriate are contained within Appendix A.
Revised Congress Allowances Regulations
(Approved by ICCF Congress, Järvenpää, Finland, 2011)
6 Euro cents per kilometre travelled reimbursed to recipients travelling within their own continent and 7 Euro cents per kilometre reimbursed to recipients travelling out with their own continent.
In addition, accommodation costs at the standard daily bed and breakfast rate at the hotel meeting venue of the ICCF Congress (or meeting place of the ICCF Executive Board) may be reimbursed for a maximum of 7 days to members of the ICCF Executive Board and to other ICCF officials deemed appropriate by the ICCF Congress. Reimbursement of accommodation costs may be extended to a maximum of 9 days in respect of the President and the General Secretary in order to facilitate any preparation in respect of the Congress.
Those members of the ICCF Executive Board and other designated Officials eligible to receive payments of Congress Allowances are President, General Secretary, Finance Director, World Tournament Director, Services Director, Zonal Directors (4), Ratings Commissioner, Rules Commissioner, Qualifications Commissioner, Direct Entry Commissioner, Webmaster, and Title Tournaments Commissioner & Non-Title Tournaments Commissioner.
Voting Summary
Vote 1:
- A vote of Yes will incorporate the new proposed ICCF official reimbursement scheme, for all official and approved travel, effective 01/01/2016.
- A vote of No means many ICCF volunteers will still be required to pay out-of-pocket for expenses incurred while conducting official ICCF business. This has and will continue to hamper filling critical ICCF positions with volunteers.
- A vote of Abstain is not a vote but means the vote holder has no opinion and does not wish to represent the correspondence chess players of his or her federation in this matter.
Vote 2 (Contingent) – If Vote 1 is a YES, then:
- A vote of Yes will make this proposal effective for all official ICCF travel on or after 01.06.2015.
- A vote of No will make this proposal effective for all official ICCF travel on or after 01.01.2016.
- A vote of Abstain is not a vote but means the vote holder has no opinion and does not wish to represent the correspondence chess players of his or her federation in this matter.
Comments by Relevant Committees, Commissions, or ICCF Officers
Eric Ruch (EB)
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George Pyrich
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