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[Questions Concerning Park Service Employee's Claim for Subsistence Expenses for Excess Traveltime]

B-216119 Published: Feb 26, 1985. Publicly Released: Feb 26, 1985.
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Highlights

An advance decision was requested concerning the claim of a handicapped National Park Service employee for reimbursement of the additional subsistence expenses he incurred when he arrived early at his temporary duty site and then delayed his return travel in order to avoid driving in a severe snowstorm. His supervisor had verbally approved the employee's early departure, and the employee had delayed his return travel because of a forecast of future bad weather and had used annual leave during the delay. The agency had denied the employee's claim for subsistence expenses for meals consumed during the extended traveltime and questioned whether it must charge the employee annual leave for the day spent waiting for the weather to clear. GAO found that, in view of the employee's physical limitations and the problems that he might encounter by traveling in inclement weather, he exercised good judgment and prudence in departing early and delaying his return trip from his temporary assignment. Therefore, payment of the additional subsistence expenses incurred by the employee would represent a reasonable accommodation under the Rehabilitation Act. The charging of annual leave is a matter of administrative discretion, and GAO would not object to excusing the employee on the day in question. In addition, GAO found that the employee would be entitled to meal expenses as claimed for that date. Accordingly, GAO held that the employee's claim for additional subsistence expenses could be allowed.

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Annual leaveExpense claimsPeople with disabilitiesSubsistence allowancesTemporary duty expense allowancesWeather