Minnesota's Statewide AFSCME agreement suggests that ideally, employers and employed mutually benefit when they maintain peaceable co-existence as their shared, positive goal, and Article 31 covers meetings between joint labor and management committees as a simple routine for keeping the workplace free of troubles, disagreements, harmful imbalances, myths and fuzzy-headed ideas about what AFSCMEMN's Statewide agreement actually says.
Both MMB/HR of MnDOT at statewide level (and most MnDOT Districts at the local level) offer secured production network employee access to follow doings in Labor Managment Committees. MnDOT's Central Office, MnDOT Metro District and MnDOT District 1 set themselves far apart on this, currently displaying surprisingly little, basically nothing at all, as evidence that pretends joint labor/management committees ever existed and were working in some way to maintain a mutually beneficial peace:
https://ihub/d2/committees/labormanagementcommittee.html
https://ihub/d3/minutes.html Joint Labor Management Commitee
http://ihub/d4/lmc.html
https://ihub.dot.state.mn.us/d6/Resources/Committees/labormanagement/index.html
https://ihub.dot.state.mn.us/d7/meeting-minutes-labormgt.html
The state agreement portions applicable to MnDOT do not mention the phrase "per diem" regarding compensation for expenses non-exempt employees incur while on duty in travel status. Reference labels titling pay grids for hourly wage workers, in AFSCME's state agreements, as "salary" are not helpful here for clearing this up. No need to go any deeper down this rabbit hole where expense compensation through payroll is taxed as new, additional income, beyond and above base pay.
A complex timesheet form is used for claiming expenses, but for some reason, meal claims are not valid unless original receipts prove expenses happened in certain ways, within bounds at particular places and during limited times. One Local 695 member reported taking two to four hours to assemble original time-stamped proof of expenses to attached on his expense sheets. Problems, glitches and concerns like this take time to fix, so plainly, peace has a long ways to go. All involved hope, someday, to arrive at less ridiculously obscure ways of doing offical state record keeping.
Although federal labor laws might seem the legal way to claim recompense for meals by employees while on duty, in travel status, according to AFSCME's Statewide agreement language, any District so inclined may claim they do not have to show any mercy, latutude, grace or minimal consideration to reimburse meals, at all. Nothing in contract or state and federal law limits policy barriers to claiming recompense for meals and lodging, employers add hurdles, barriers because they can. Fixes about this might issue forth, to some employees to voluntarily follow, but most non-negotiated ideas from employers are only there to impose new encumberances and toils beyond existing requirements for employees. Example of an employers expense pilot
A crazy patchwork of overlapping expense instructions exist across pan-District (Statewide-level) with District-specific references from human resource or payroll policies on submitting expenses with timesheets. Links to documents and policies show the employer, the appointing authority party to the State agreement, may if bent to do so, has the right to add new, additional barriers that hinder claims for recompense of travel status meals and or other expenses for whatever reason, as many they feel are nececessary. See highlights below in red.
RCA Employee Expense Worksheet - Lodging and Meals
Quick Reference Guide
Updated: 8-6-2019
Meal Expenses
Districts or Offices may require meal receipts.
iHUB (state.mn.us)
RCA Employee Expense Reference Material
https://ihub/rca/employee-expense/index.html
https://edocs/edocs_employee/DMResultSet/download?docId=2964290
iHUB Metro District Finance
Metro District requires actual receipts for all costs except parking meters.
We have two Notary Publics available to assist with Affidavit Concerning an Expense Report with no Receipt (eDOC).
ReceiptsAcceptable Receipts
When receipts are required, only itemized receipts are acceptable. An itemized receipt is provided by the vendor and includes the vendor’s name and address, date(s), a detailed list of items, total amount, and the date paid.
Receipts not Required
Meals
Note: In consultation with Human Resources, supervisors may require receipts even if listed as “not required” (For example: a meal receipt).
Employee Responsibilities
When submitting business expenses, it is the employee’s responsibility to:
Follow supervisor and local payroll administrator directions for:
Additional receipt and/or documentation requirements
Deadlines for completing expense worksheets
Process for notifying supervisor when the expenses are ready for review/approval
Create separate Employee Expense Worksheet for in-state and out-state expenses
Create separate Employee Expense Worksheets for tool reimbursements and other reimbursements
Ensure use of the correct funding string (it generally matches string used in timesheet)
Provide clear descriptions for each expense, including the type of tool reimbursement
Include comments to provide more detail as needed
Attach required documentation in a legible format
Employees are encouraged to keep copies of receipts on file until the expenses have been fully processed through payroll. Submitted receipts will be retained by MnDOT in accordance with the applicable records retention policy.
Employees are encouraged to redact personal information such as credit card number from receipts prior to submitting for reimbursement.
Submit expenses within 60 days of incurring cost (to avoid paying additional taxes)
Recommended: use descriptive and unique file names for attachments
Add “map” to the beginning of an online map. For example: map - Home to AHTC, map - St Paul to Anoka Truck Station
Add the expense date to the beginning of receipts. For example: 20190112 - safety boots, 20190127 - poster board for training in Willmar
Meals
Employees may be reimbursed for the actual expenditure amount for an eligible meal up to the maximum meal amount established in the applicable collective bargaining agreement or compensation plan.
The meal amount reimbursed may include tax and a reasonable gratuity. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited.
Combined meal allowances may be allowed by some collective bargaining agreements and compensation plans. Employees may review their plan to see if this applies to their situation.
Forms
Affidavit in Lieu of Receipts
Employee Expense Worksheet
Mileage Trip Log
Request and Authorization for Out of State Travel
Tuition Reimbursement Education Plan
Tuition Reimbursement Form
References
Business Expense Tax Implications: Agency Responsibilities
Collective Bargaining Agreements
Commissioner’s Plan
Commute Miles not Reimbursable per Minnesota Statutes §16B.55, Subdivision 4
MAPE 2019-2021 Labor Agreement
Minnesota Code of Ethics
Managerial Plan
MMB Policy - Mileage
MMB Policy – Benefits Derived From Travel
MMB-Employee-Business-Travel Expenses Policy
MMB – Policy Selecting Mode of Transportation
Tuition Reimbursement for Employee-Initiated Education or Training Policy
Tuition Reimbursement and Time Release Procedures
Safety Boots
Tuition Reimbursement Program