Entitlement to Relocation and Temporary Quarters Subsistence Expenses

GAO was asked whether an employee of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was entitled to per diem, actual subsistence, relocation expenses, and temporary quarters subsistence expenses. The employee was hired by BLM on September 21, 1978, with a duty station at Salt Lake City, Utah. He was initially given a 6-month temporary appointment. On March 22, 1979, he was given a 1-month temporary appointment as an Operations Research Analyst. He served in that position under that appointment and extensions thereof until September 23, 1979, when he was promoted by a career-conditional appointment with a permanent duty assignment at Lakewood, Jefferson, Colorado. The employee traveled extensively during his assignment to Salt Lake City under travel authorizations issued by BLM. However, most of the employee's duties were performed in the Denver area and he was reimbursed for his travel expenses and per diem or actual subsistence expenses through July 31, 1979. The certifying officer asked whether it was valid to pay: (1) any per diem or subsistence expenses after March 6, 1979, since the employee terminated his lease in Salt Lake City at that time and at a later date moved to an apartment in Wheat Ridge, Colorado; and (2) the voucher dated December 3, 1979, for temporary quarters subsistence expenses, transportation of household goods, loss of lease expenses, and miscellaneous expenses incident to his permanent change of station on September 23, 1979. GAO held that the employee was entitled to per diem and actual subsistence expenses to the date of his permanent change of duty station to Denver since the evidence indicated that Salt Lake City was his permanent duty station. However, relocation expenses incurred prior to the date of transfer may not be reimbursed since there was no administrative intention to transfer the employee before that date. Also, the employee was not entitled to temporary quarters subsistence expenses for his apartment since it was his permanent residence.