B-235839, Sep 7, 1989
Highlights
The employee's duty station was Bremerhaven. As part of the proposed adverse action process constitutes official business for which travel expenses are reimbursable. The employee's duty station was Bremerhaven. Decisions of our Office have held that travel to participate in hearings concerning proposed agency actions affecting an employee's pay. Or status constitutes official business for which travel expenses are reimbursable. Is considered to be official business and necessary and allowable travel expenses so incurred were held to be reimbursable. Dal Santo's claim is affirmed.
B-235839, Sep 7, 1989
A school principal employed by Department of Defense Dependents Schools, Germany Region, claims travel allowances for expenses he incurred incident to travel he performed when he received notice of the agency's proposal to remove him. The notice provided for his right to make an oral response pursuant to agency regulation. The employee's duty station was Bremerhaven, Germany, and the agency designated Wiesbaden, Germany, as the location for the oral presentation. The oral response, as part of the proposed adverse action process constitutes official business for which travel expenses are reimbursable.
John Dal Santo - Travel Expenses Incident to removal Proceeding:
This responds to a request by the Director, Department of Defense Dependents Schools, Germany Region, for review of a settlement by our Claims Group (Z-2864584, Mar. 13, 1989) which allowed the claim of Mr. John Dal Santo for travel allowances for expenses he incurred incident to travel he performed when he received notice of the agency's proposal to remove him. The notice provided for his right to make an oral response pursuant to agency regulation and statute. The employee's duty station was Bremerhaven, Germany, and the agency designated Wiesbaden, Germany, as the location for the oral presentation.
As indicated in the Claims Group's settlement certificate, decisions of our Office have held that travel to participate in hearings concerning proposed agency actions affecting an employee's pay, entitlements, or status constitutes official business for which travel expenses are reimbursable. Further, by decision this date, Gary C. Rhyne, B-233387, representing a factual situation essentially the same in all material respects as that of Mr. Dal Santo's, we found that travel required to effectuate an employee's right to make an oral response to a proposed adverse action, even though no formal hearing of any kind took place, is considered to be official business and necessary and allowable travel expenses so incurred were held to be reimbursable.
Accordingly, the action of our Claims Group allowing Mr. Dal Santo's claim is affirmed.