Except where indicated below, the County does not reimburse nurses for home to work and work to home travel. Any disputes concerning the interpretation or application of the mileage reimbursement policy shall be referred to the HRD Director whose decision shall be final. After notification is received from the IRS indicating a change in its allowable mileage rate, the County will change its rate to coincide with the rate set by the IRS as soon as possible.
Definition of Regular Work Location:
The County facility(ies) or designated area(s) within the County where a nurse reports when commencing his/her regularly assigned functions.
Any County facility(ies) or designated area(s) to which a nurse is assigned for a period in excess of ten (10) consecutive work days shall ordinarily be considered a regular work location and, as such, not subject to employee mileage reimbursement. Temporary assignments which extend beyond ten (10) days may be considered for a mileage reimbursement eligibility extension not to exceed a total of twenty (20) additional work days. All approval authority for extensions rests with the HRD Director whose decision shall be final.
A nurse is entitled to mileage reimbursement under the conditions specified below:
- Once a nurse arrives at his/her regular work location, any subsequent work related travel in the nurse’s own vehicle shall be eligible for mileage reimbursement.
- Travel to Trainings and Conferences
a) If a nurse uses his/her own vehicle for travel to and from any required training program or conference, the nurse shall be entitled to mileage reimbursement for all miles traveled unless the nurse is leaving directly from his/her residence, in which case the total shall be less the normal mileage to or from the nurse’s regular work location.
b) If a nurse uses his/her own vehicle for travel to and from any optional work related training program or conference the nurse may, with department head approval, be eligible for mileage reimbursement up to the limits specified in paragraph “a” above.
3. A nurse who is required to travel from his/her residence to a location other than his/her regular work location shall be entitled to mileage reimbursement for all miles traveled less the normal mileage to or from his/her regular work location. For example: a nurse’s residence is in Burlingame and regular work location is in San Mateo. Distance from home to work is eight (8) miles. Because of an early morning meeting, the nurse must travel from home to Redwood City, a distance of twenty-one (21) miles. Based upon the above rule, the nurse would be entitled to thirteen (13) miles of reimbursement. This figure is arrived at by subtracting eight (8) miles (normal mileage from home to work) from twenty-one (21) miles (distance from home to Redwood City).
4. A nurse who is required to engage in any work related travel at the conclusion of which the nurse’s work day will be completed shall be entitled to mileage reimbursement for all miles traveled less the normal mileage from the regular work location to his/her residence. For example: A nurse’s residence is in Palo Alto and regular work location is in Redwood City. Distance from home to work is thirteen (13) miles. The nurse has a meeting at the Hayward City Hall (thirty-one (31) miles) which will not conclude until 5:00 p.m. and therefore, the nurse will go directly home, a distance of thirty-one(31) miles. Based on the above rule, the nurse would be entitled to eighteen (18) miles of reimbursement. This figure is arrived at by subtracting thirteen (13) miles (normal mileage from home to work) from thirty-one (31) miles (distance from Hayward to home).
Any exceptions to the above policy may be considered on a case by case basis by the HRD Director, whose decision shall be final.