B-162357, OCT. 4, 1967
Highlights
TRAVELED FOR PERSONAL REASONS TO LONDON AND TO IRELAND AT EXCURSION RATE MAY HAVE CLAIM FOR ADDITIONAL PER DIEM ALLOWED SINCE SAVINGS THAT OCCURRED BY EMPLOYEE CONVERTING TICKET FROM ECONOMY CLASS TO EXCURSION RATE IS CONSIDERABLY GREATER THAN PER DIEM CLAIMED. IF IT IS ADMINISTRATIVELY DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE NEED FOR HIS SERVICES SO AS TO NECESSITATE HIS RETURN TO BE AVAILABLE FOR DUTY ON MONDAY. HE WAS ISSUED A REGULAR ROUND TRIP ECONOMY CLASS TRANSPORTATION AIR TICKET VALUED AT $577.20. COULD HAVE LEFT ROME THE SAME DAY ARRIVING AT WASHINGTON AT 10:00 P.M. PHILLIPS IS CLAIMING PER DIEM ON THE BASIS THAT HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE TRAVEL FOR PERSONAL REASONS HE WOULD HAVE REMAINED IN ROME UNTIL MONDAY.
B-162357, OCT. 4, 1967
PER DIEM - CIVILIAN PERSONNEL - DELAY IN RETURN FROM TEMPORARY DUTY DECISION TO CERTIFYING OFFICER OF FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE, DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE CONCERNING ADDITIONAL PER DIEM FOR EMPLOYEE WHILE IN ROME. EMPLOYEE WHO, INSTEAD OF STAYING AT OVERSEAS TEMPORARY DUTY POINT FROM SATURDAY UNTIL MONDAY, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF REDUCED AIR FARE, TRAVELED FOR PERSONAL REASONS TO LONDON AND TO IRELAND AT EXCURSION RATE MAY HAVE CLAIM FOR ADDITIONAL PER DIEM ALLOWED SINCE SAVINGS THAT OCCURRED BY EMPLOYEE CONVERTING TICKET FROM ECONOMY CLASS TO EXCURSION RATE IS CONSIDERABLY GREATER THAN PER DIEM CLAIMED, IF IT IS ADMINISTRATIVELY DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE NEED FOR HIS SERVICES SO AS TO NECESSITATE HIS RETURN TO BE AVAILABLE FOR DUTY ON MONDAY.
TO MISS SALLY N. CROSS:
THIS REFERS TO YOUR LETTER OF AUGUST 24, 1967, REQUESTING OUR DECISION WHETHER YOU MAY CERTIFY FOR PAYMENT THE ENCLOSED VOUCHER FOR $269.15 IN FAVOR OF MR. STANLEY W. PHILLIPS, AN EMPLOYEE OF THE FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE.
YOUR DOUBT IN THE MATTER CONCERNS THE ALLOWANCE OF ADDITIONAL PER DIEM IN LIEU OF SUBSISTENCE IN ROME, ITALY, UNDER THE FOLLOWING CIRCUMSTANCES. THE RECORD SHOWS THAT MR. PHILLIPS LEFT WASHINGTON, D.C., ON MONDAY, APRIL 10, 1967. HE WAS ISSUED A REGULAR ROUND TRIP ECONOMY CLASS TRANSPORTATION AIR TICKET VALUED AT $577.20. HE FINISHED HIS OFFICIAL DUTIES AT ROME, ITALY, ON SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 1967, AND COULD HAVE LEFT ROME THE SAME DAY ARRIVING AT WASHINGTON AT 10:00 P.M. HE ACTUALLY LEFT ROME THAT DAY BUT FOR PERSONAL REASONS TRAVELED TO LONDON, ENGLAND, DUBLIN AND SHANNON, IRELAND, AND LEFT SHANNON ON TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 1967, TO RETURN TO WASHINGTON.
MR. PHILLIPS IS CLAIMING PER DIEM ON THE BASIS THAT HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE TRAVEL FOR PERSONAL REASONS HE WOULD HAVE REMAINED IN ROME UNTIL MONDAY, APRIL 24, 1967, IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THE EXCURSION RATE, WHICH REPRESENTS A SAVINGS OF $135.40 IN AIR TRANSPORTATION COST, OVER THE REGULAR ECONOMY FARE. THE PAN AMERICAN WORLD AIRWAYS HAS REFUNDED THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REGULAR ECONOMY CLASS AND EXCURSION RATE.
SINCE THE SAVINGS THAT OCCURRED BY THE EMPLOYEE CONVERTING HIS TICKET TO AN EXCURSION RATE IS CONSIDERABLY GREATER THAN THE SUM HE IS CLAIMING FOR PER DIEM WE WOULD HAVE NO OBJECTION TO ALLOWANCE OF SUCH ADDITIONAL PER DIEM IF IT IS ADMINISTRATIVELY DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE NEED FOR MR. PHILLIPS' SERVICES SO AS TO NECESSITATE HIS RETURN TO BE AVAILABLE FOR DUTY ON MONDAY, APRIL 24, 1967, AND THAT HE WOULD HAVE STAYED IN ROME TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE REDUCED FARE. IN THAT CONNECTION, SEE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS, SECTION 1.2, TO THE EFFECT THAT A TRAVELER SHOULD EXERCISE THE SAME CARE IN INCURRING EXPENSES THAT A PRUDENT PERSON WOULD EXERCISE IF TRAVELING ON PERSONAL BUSINESS.
ACTION ON THE VOUCHER WHICH IS RETURNED HEREWITH SHOULD BE TAKEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOREGING.