[Claim for Travel Expenses]

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the claims of a Department of Energy employee for travel expenses while allegedly on temporary duty and examined other issues relating to travel allowances. The record showed that the only written orders of any type that the claimant had for the period in question were blanket travel authorizations for all of fiscal years 1982 and 1983. Before being permanently and formally assigned to the alleged temporary duty station, the claimant served for a period of about 18 months in a capacity which was not an established position. GAO found that: (1) the lack of any written travel orders for the 18 months in question indicated that the alleged temporary duty station was, in fact, the claimant's permanent duty station; (2) the 18-month period far exceeded what could reasonably be considered temporary duty; and (3) the nature of the claimant's work for the period in question were not the type of duties intended to be performed on a temporary duty assignment. In addition, GAO stated that: (1) an employee may be authorized voluntary return travel expenses for nonworkdays to his official station or place of abode from which he commutes daily to his official station; and (2) weekend return travel should be performed outside the employee's regular duty hours or during periods of authorized leave. Accordingly, the claimant was on permanent duty assignment during the 18-month period in question and his travel expenses should be recomputed on that basis.