"Lodgings-Plus" Per Diem When Commercial Lodging Unavailable

A decision was requested concerning an employee's entitlement to per diem in lieu of actual subsistence for commercial lodgings which were unavailable because of a snowstorm. Under the lodgings-plus system, per diem is computed on the basis of the average amount paid for lodgings. Thus, the employee may not be paid per diem based on the hypothetical cost of commercial lodgings.