Legal Team
legal@diamond.ac.uk
Prior to 5 July 2019, Diamond’s management of expenses was handled under a set of guidelines. These guidelines, by their very nature, were open to interpretation. This led to uncertainty for those incurring expenses and it led to inconsistency in claiming, approving and general handling of claims. In some instances, it also led to individuals taking advantage of Diamond’s flexibility. The uncertainty also often resulted in unnecessary email exchanges, discussions and phone calls and general inefficiency.
The new policy (and associated procedures and frequently asked questions) have been put together with a view to creating a simple, clear and concise framework for incurring and claiming reimbursement of expenses at Diamond. We want to ensure that you are clear when Diamond will reimburse the expenses that you incur, and we want to make sure that in the handling of your expense claims you are treated equally and fairly.
Yes. Limits of £10 for breakfast, £15 for lunch and £30 for dinner were arrived at after taking the following into consideration:
We will be reviewing the newly introduced reimbursement limits 3 months after the introduction of the policy (in October 2019) and again in July 2020 and at least annually thereafter.
The Directors recognise that because the maximum contributions set out in the policy are in GBP that currency fluctuations will need to be closely monitored. Where a change to these limits needs to be made, this will be communicated to you.
While the Directors have taken the view that the level of reimbursement is fair and reasonable, if you have specific examples of how the newly introduced limits are unreasonable, please do send further details to policies@diamond.ac.uk for consideration.
We considered introducing a daily allowance and/or varying reimbursement limits depending on the country and/or city visited. We took a range of factors into consideration (including those set out in question 2) as well as the potential advantages and disadvantages (to you and to Diamond) and the associated efficiencies and difficulties that would be introduced. We considered HMRC rules around subsistence expenses (including their 90-page breakdown on rates by country and city) and took into account that a significant amount of Diamond travel is for conference attendance and that travel is usually booked with breakfast (and sometimes lunch and dinner) included.
On balance the Directors decided that the existing process of reimbursing actual expenses incurred, but within limits, was preferred.
Diamond is however not closing the door on considering all options that may result in a more straightforward and more efficient process for handling expenses, including the introduction of a daily allowance or reimbursing expenses at rates which may vary depending on the country/city visited.
We will be reviewing the policy and the newly introduced reimbursement limits 3 months after the introduction of the policy (in October 2019) and again in July 2020 and at least annually after that.
There is no limit to what you can spend on a meal when on Diamond business. There is however now a limit on the amount that Diamond will contribute to your meal.
Going forward, it will be clear to you before incurring an expense, exactly what Diamond will reimburse. It will also mean that you are treated equally and fairly when we deal with the reimbursement of your expenses.
In the very unlikely event that, after considering all the options available to you where you are travelling/staying, it is simply not possible to buy a reasonable meal within the newly implemented limits, you might want to consider purchasing a meal for an amount as close to the reimbursement limit as possible, knowing that Diamond will reimburse your costs up to the limits published. Then, when you submit your claim, set out the exceptional circumstances leading to Diamond being asked to reimburse the additional cost and why it was not possible to buy a reasonable meal within the reimbursement limit. Please also include any supporting material. It will then be at the discretion of the Director of Finance and Corporate Services or the CEO to authorise any amounts in excess of the meal limit.
To assist you further, and based on the feedback and claims that we receive over the coming months, we expect to publish guidance as to what may constitute exceptional circumstances.
In addition to the newly introduced limits on the reimbursement of meals, we will reimburse the costs of non-alcoholic light refreshments when you travel for more than 2 hours on Diamond business, subject to the maximum amount claimable under this heading being £5 each day.
If you are away on Diamond business for 5 days then you could claim the costs of non-alcoholic light refreshments for each of those 5 days. You are not limited to a particular number of light refreshments, provided they are within the £5 limit. Diamond will not reimburse more than £5 for light refreshments (that are not part of a meal) claimed in any single day of travel.
Normally, and for most people travelling on Diamond business, we would expect dinner to be the main meal and have therefore introduced a £30 limit on Diamond’s contribution to dinner. We recognise that in certain circumstances, you may choose to take your main meal at lunchtime. Should you wish to switch the limits for lunch and dinner on the same day (so that you have a lunch with a Diamond contribution limit set at £30 and a dinner limit set at £15), please feel free to do so. Where you are only claiming for lunch or dinner on any given day, the £15 lunch and £30 dinner limits shall apply.
Any claims outside these limits will be treated as an exception and will need to be properly motivated by you when you submit your claim so that it can be considered for approval by the Director of Finance and Corporate Services or the CEO.
Yes, Diamond will continue to pay the currency conversion charges that you incur provided you supply the necessary supporting documentation.
Claims for Diamond Employees can be submitted here. Claims for third party candidates and speakers can be submitted via a link that will be provided upon request by contacting Diamond Finance.
We will make payment within two weeks of your claim being approved via electronic bank transfer and you will receive an email confirming payment.
All travel for Diamond business should be booked by Diamond’s authorised travel bookers (typically Diamond Science Travel or the Divisional PA) and there will not be a need to claim reimbursement of these expenses. In exceptional circumstances or where necessary, and with the appropriate authorisation, you may book your own travel for Diamond business.
Taxis should be booked through Diamond’s authorised travel bookers (typically Diamond Science Travel or the Divisional PA) where possible and may only be used when:
All accommodation for Diamond business should be booked by Diamond’s authorised travel bookers (typically Diamond Science Travel or the Divisional PA) and there will not be a need to claim reimbursement of these expenses. In exceptional circumstances or where necessary, and with the appropriate authorisation, you may book your own travel for Diamond business.
Any questions in relation to Diamond's Expenses Policy or the associated procedures should be sent to policies@diamond.ac.uk.
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