Employee Handbook:

Time Charging Policy

  • Purpose This Time Charging Policy ensures that all employee time is recorded accurately, consistently, and in compliance with company, client, and regulatory requirements. Proper timekeeping is essential for billing clients, managing projects, and complying with labor laws.

  • Scope: This policy applies to all employees, contractors, and temporary staff who record time worked for Balboa I&M.

  • Time Charging Principles

    • Honesty and Accuracy: Employees must record actual time worked, to the nearest 15-minute increment, on a daily basis.

    • Timeliness: Time must be entered daily and submitted bi-weekly no later than the following Tuesday at 5 p.m.

    • Project/Task Codes: Time must be charged to the correct project, task, or internal account. Ask your supervisor if unsure.

    • Pre-Approval: All overtime, non-billable time, or time on special projects must be pre-approved by a supervisor.

    • No Pre-Charging or Backdating: Do not enter time in advance or recreate time long after it was worked.

  • Time Categories: Time must be recorded under the appropriate work code. If a work code is not provided, describe the work and a code will be assigned upon timesheet submission for future use.

  • Timekeeping System: Time and task codes must be recorded in the time tracking spreadsheet on Dropbox.

  • Overtime (OT): all OT must be approved by your supervisor. OT is approved by project not by the week. E.g. OT may be approved for an inspection at a facility but this doesn’t mean the employee can add OT hours doing unrelated computer work in his or her room.

  • Corrections

    • If a mistake is made on a submitted timesheet, it must be corrected by the employee or reported to the time administrator within 24 hours.

    • Supervisors are responsible for approving any corrections.

  • Audits and Compliance

    • Timesheets may be audited at any time by internal management or external auditors.

    • Falsifying time records is grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

  • Roles & Responsibilities

    • Employees:

      • Record time daily.

      • Ensure time is accurate and complete.

      • Submit timesheets on schedule.

    • Supervisors:

      • Review and approve timesheets promptly.

      • Ensure proper charge codes are used.

      • Monitor compliance and address discrepancies.

    • Time Administrator/HR:

      • Maintain the timekeeping system.

      • Provide support and training.

      • Monitor policy compliance.

  • Disciplinary Action

    • Failure to comply with this policy may result in disciplinary action, including: Written warnings or Suspension or Termination of employment

  • Flex Time Policy: Balboa I&M offers a Flex Time benefit allowing hourly employees to bank extra hours worked and use them to offset approved time off.

  • Overview: Employees may bank extra hours worked and later apply those hours to make up for time off taken in the past or planned in the future. Flex time is not paid out as overtime or additional compensation.

  • Earning Flex Time

    • Standard Workweeks (Non-Travel)

      • Extra hours beyond 40 hours in a week are banked hour-for-hour (1 hour = 1 hour).

      • Flex time must be pre-approved by a supervisor.

    • Work Travel Weeks (Non-Sales, OT Authorized)

      • Required OT / Approved OT may be banked at 1.5x the hours worked (e.g., 4 hours OT = 6 hours banked).

      • If OT is not required but worked voluntarily, time is banked at a 1:1 rate.

    • Sales Travel

      • All hours worked while traveling for sales purposes are banked at a 1:1 rate.

Travel Policy:

Hotel Selection

  • Employees traveling for business must:

  • Choose reasonably priced hotels that are clean, safe, and convenient to the work site.

  • Stay within U.S. GSA lodging rate limits for the city/region. See www.gsa.gov.

  • Avoid luxury or premium hotels unless pre-approved in writing and within GSA limits.

  • Employees staying with friends or family will be reimbursed $50 per night.

Flight booking

  • This policy ensures Balboa employees book cost-effective airfare while maintaining reasonable travel schedules and operational efficiency.

  • Booking Process & Responsibility

    • Flights are typically booked by managers for:

      • Inspection teams

      • Operations-related travel

    • Sales travel is typically booked directly by the sales associate.

    • Flights do not have to be booked through Expedia or Kayak, but:

      • Employees must use these platforms to price shop

      • Booking directly with the airline is encouraged once the best option is identified

  • Lowest Logical Fare Standard

    Employees are expected to select the lowest logical fare available at the time of booking.

    • The “lowest logical fare” is defined as: The lowest-priced flight that meets reasonable expectations for travel time, routing, and job performance.

    • Employees are not required to select the absolute cheapest option if it creates unreasonable conditions, including:

      • Excessive layovers (generally >2 stops or long/overnight layovers)

      • Significantly extended total travel time

      • High risk of delays or missed connections

      • Arrival times that negatively impact work performance

  • Allowable Price Flexibility

    • Employees may select a flight priced up to: 50% above the lowest available fare OR $200 above the lowest fare (whichever is less)

    • This is allowed without additional approval, provided the selection is justified by reasonable travel considerations.

    • Example:

      • Lowest fare: $200 → Max acceptable: $300 (50% rule applies)

      • Lowest fare: $600 → Max acceptable: $800 ($200 cap applies)

      • Flights exceeding this threshold require approval:

        • $300–$1,000: Verbal approval

        • Over $1,000: Written approval

  • Booking Expectations

    • Book flights as early as practical

    • Avoid unnecessary last-minute bookings

    • Prefer direct flights when cost difference is reasonable

    • Consider total trip cost, not just airfare (e.g., hotel nights due to poor routing)

  • Documentation

    If a flight is selected above the lowest fare, employees should be prepared to provide:

    • Reference or screenshot of the lowest fare at time of booking

    • Brief justification for selecting a higher-priced option

  • Non-Compliance

    Failure to follow this policy may result in:

    • Reimbursement limited to the lowest logical fare

    • Denial of excess costs

    • Additional approval requirements for future travel

Ground Transportation: Car Rentals vs. Rideshare

Employees are expected to choose the most cost-effective ground transportation option based on the needs of the trip.

  • For short trips or limited travel (e.g., airport, hotel, job site), use of rideshare services such as Uber or Lyft is preferred.

  • Sites like Expedia, Kayak or similar shoudl be used to price shop Rental vehicals.

    • The least expensive option should be slelected provide it:

      • Fits the number of people that will be on the trip

      • the booking is done with a major brand

  • Before renting a vehicle, employees should consider the total cost comparison, including:

    • Rental cost

    • Fuel

    • Parking

    • Duration of use

    • Number of trips required

If the total cost of rideshare (Uber/Lyft) is less than or reasonably comparable to a rental vehicle, rideshare should be used.

  • Car rentals are appropriate when:

    • Multiple daily trips are required

    • Travel distances are significant

    • Rideshare is impractical or unavailable

Expences - Reinbursement - Per Diem

This policy outlines the procedures for submitting business-related expenses and receiving reimbursement. The goal is to ensure timely processing, accurate recordkeeping, and clear accountability for all company expenditures.

  • General Guidelines

    • All expenses must be reasonable, necessary, and directly related to company business.

    • Employees are expected to use company funds responsibly and avoid unnecessary spending.

    • Receipts are required for all expenses, regardless of amount.

    • Expenses should be submitted within 5 business days of purchase whenever possible.

Company Card Usage: Employees issued or using a Balboa company card must:

  • Use the card only for approved business expenses.

    Retain all receipts at the time of purchase.

  • Immediately email receipts after each transaction to:

    • balboa_inspection_and_maintena+expenses@assist.intuit.com

  • Include a brief description in the email if the purpose of the expense is not obvious.

  • Failure to submit receipts may result in the expense being treated as a personal charge.

Personal Card Usage (Reimbursement Requests):

Personal Card Usage (Reimbursement Requests): If an employee does not have a company card or cannot use the company card they can use personal funds for a business expenses. To be reimburse: the following is required:

  • Send an email to your manager with the following:

    • Subject should read: “Expence Reinbursement - Personal”

    • Total amount of the expense

    • Description of what the expense was for

    • Date of the transaction

    • Scanned legible copy of the receipt

    • Zelle payment information (email or phone number associated with Zelle)

    • Incomplete submissions will delay reimbursement.

  • Reimbursement Timing

    • Approved reimbursements will typically be processed within 3–7 business days.

    • Payment will be made via Zelle unless otherwise arranged.

  • Non-Reimbursable Expenses: The following are not eligible for reimbursement unless pre-approved:

    • Personal expenses

    • Alcohol (unless part of an approved client/business meeting)

    • Traffic violations, fines, or penalties

    • Unapproved upgrades (e.g., flights, hotels, rentals)

    • Lost or missing receipts (without prior approval)

  • Compliance & Enforcement - Repeated failure to follow this policy may result in:

    • Delayed or denied reimbursement

    • Revocation of company card privileges

    • Disciplinary action if necessary

Per Diem and Meals Policy

  • Operations Travel & Field Work – Per Diem

    • Eligible employees may receive a daily GSA-based per diem for meals.

    • Use the Balboa Per Diem Spreadsheet for calculation and submission.

    • Hotel-provided breakfasts do not count as provided meals.

    • Deduct meals covered by other employees or included in events.

  • Sales Travel – Actual Meal Reimbursement

    • Not eligible for per diem.

    • May expense actual meal costs with itemized receipts.

    • Alcohol is reimbursable only during client meals and must be moderate.

  • General Guidelines for All Travel Meals

    • Excessive or unrelated meal charges are not reimbursed.

    • Group meals should be expensed by one employee with attendees listed.

    • Submit expenses or per diem claims within 7 business days post-travel.

  • Example Use Case: Field Travel Scenario: An employee travels to Texas for a 3-day site visit.

    • Hotel includes breakfast.

    • One dinner is paid by the project manager on a company card.

    • All other meals are independent.

    • Steps:

      • Use the Balboa Per Diem Spreadsheet.

      • Lookup Texas’s GSA daily per diem (e.g., $68/day).

      • For each day:

      • Do not deduct for hotel breakfast.

      • Deduct $26 for the company-paid dinner.

      • Final per diem: $42 for that day.

      • Submit spreadsheet and reimbursement form within 7 days.