The Department of Regional NSW (DRNSW) have updated their Travel and P-Card policies.
Travel allowances are counted as remuneration which is subject to provisions in the NSW Industrial Relations Act NSW 1996, the Crown Employees (Conditions of Employment) Reviewed Award 2009 and previous correspondence between the parties.
The updated Travel Policy is being interpreted by various DRNSW agencies as a requirement for the use of p-cards and the payment of actual expenses. The PSA maintains that this is inconsistent with the legislation and the Award as well as previous administrative understandings between the agency and the union.
The PSA contends that the administration of travel allowance entitlements by p-card is penny wise and pound stupid.
The costs and risks associated with the administration, reconciliation and approvals for p-cards are hidden, far outstripping any cost savings in providing the correct and lawful entitlements to staff who undertake travel.
Members have also raised concerns with the PSA around financial functions/delegations in an employee’s role description that may be required to facilitate payments.
The PSA has urgently written to the agency to raise our concerns and sought further detail on what process DRNSW is putting in place for members to claim their full travel entitlements and reconcile the travel allowance payments made on the p-card with the rates set down in Crown Employees (Conditions of Employment) Reviewed Award 2009 – PART B MONETARY RATES Table 1 – Rates and Allowance.
It is a requirement for staff to be paid their travel allowance entitlements correctly and in full, the change proposed would require another reconciliation process which would be a complete waste of time and resources for members.
The PSA says that if the NSW Government wants to find savings in travel budgets, they should be looking at the privately owned FCM Travel processes instead of squeezing it out of their legitimate staff entitlements.
The PSA wants to know if your agency is directing you to administer actuals. If so, speak to your workplace delegates or the Member Support Centre on 1800 772 679.