What is a business trip
Article 91 of the Labor Code of the Republic of Belarus defines the term “business trip”. It is recognized as such a trip of an employee to another locality, different from the place of permanent work, on behalf of the employer for the performance of a service assignment.
Thus, a business trip has the following distinctive features:
– it must be performed on behalf of the employer;
– the area to which the employee travels should be different from his permanent place of work;
– a business trip is aimed at performing a service assignment.
Duration of business trip in Belarus
The legislation of Belarus does not establish a maximum period for an employee’s stay on a business trip, however, it indicates that a business trip for a period of more than 30 calendar days should be applied only with the employee’s consent.
The day of departure on a business trip is the day of departure of the vehicle to the destination, and the day of arrival is the day when the vehicle arrived in the city or town from which the employee was sent on a business trip. In this case, the day, which is taken as the basis for calculations, is considered to be the day until 24 hours, and from midnight, i.e. from 0 o’clock, the next day begins.
Registration of a business trip: business trips in the Republic of Belarus and abroad
The updated Labor Code of the Republic of Belarus establishes that sending an employee on a business trip must be formalized by an order (decree, resolution) of the employer.
An employee must be issued a travel certificate at least one day before going on a business trip. Moreover, each specific organization has the right to establish the form of a business trip certificate independently. If a group of workers is sent on a business trip, then they can be issued with one general business trip certificate.
At the same time, the employer must compensate the employee’s expenses associated with staying at the place of business trip, as well as with transportation to and from the place of business trip. So, are compensated:
– costs associated with the purchase of tickets there and back;
– the cost of renting accommodation at the place of business trip;
– expenses for staying at the place of business trip, etc.
The cost of being on a business trip (daily allowance) for business trips in Belarus is 9 rubles per day.
So, when sending an employee on a business trip, you must take the following sequential steps:
– justify the need for a business trip (this can be participation in a court session, seminar, conference, conclusion and signing of an agreement, etc.);
– obtain the consent of the employee (in cases where it is necessary);
– to issue an order on the acceptance of the secondment;
– draw up a task for a business trip;
– issue a travel certificate;
– put a mark on the travel certificate;
– issue timesheets;
– receive a report on the trip;
– get an advance report.
When sending an employee on a business trip abroad, it is mandatory to draw up an assignment for a business trip. It indicates the state of business, the goals and objectives of the business trip, the subject of the business trip, the procedure for introducing negotiations and other important circumstances.
Reimbursement of expenses at the expense of the host
The parties (sending and receiving organizations) can agree among themselves on full or partial reimbursement of travel expenses.
If the receiving party pays, for example, the daily allowance for a business trip, then the other party must compensate for the cost of renting accommodation, the cost of tickets for travel to the place of business trip, etc.
Payment of travel expenses and reimbursement of travel expenses
As mentioned above, to pay for accommodation at the place of business trip within the Republic of Belarus, the employee is paid a daily allowance in the amount of 9 rubles per day.
The amount of per diem for business trips abroad is determined by the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus and is, in particular:
– to Austria – 100 euros;
– to Azerbaijan – 35 US dollars;
– to Lithuania – 55 euros;
– to Poland – 65 euros.
The employer or the receiving party is also obliged to pay the employee the costs of purchasing tickets, travel to the place of business trip, rental costs of living quarters, and other costs.
Business trip report: how it is drawn up and the timing of its submission
A business trip report is not obligatory for submission, if we are not talking about a business trip abroad. The employer can independently establish the obligation of a business trip report in the local acts of the organization. In particular, the form of the report and the timing of its submission are subject to determination.
The business trip report must contain:
– surname, name, patronymic of the person on business trip;
– his position;
– state and place of stay on a business trip;
– the essence of the task and the results of its implementation;
– signature of the traveler.
Maximum number of business trips per year
The legislation does not establish the maximum number of business trips per year, however, it indicates that it is impossible to send an employee on a business trip for a period exceeding 30 days without his consent.
At the same time, it is necessary to separate the concepts of “business trip” and “traveling nature of work”. In traveling work, the procedure for registration, payment of wages, reimbursement of expenses, the duration of stay in another area differ from similar circumstances during a business trip.
