Report 2008-103 Recommendation 7 Responses

Report 2008-103: California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board: Its Weak Policies and Practices Could Undermine Employment Opportunity and Lead to the Misuse of State Resources (Release Date: November 2008)

Recommendation #7 To: Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, California

To ensure that employees are reimbursed only for appropriate and authorized travel expenses, the appeals board should strengthen its travel policies and procedures by requiring supervisors to preapprove employees' travel plans and to subsequently review their travel expense claims to ensure that all travel is in the State's best interest. In addition, it should update its travel manual to provide guidance to employees on how to properly designate their headquarters location. Furthermore, the appeals board should ensure that employees are reimbursed only for those lodging costs that comply with Personnel Administration's regulations.

1-Year Agency Response

In December 2008 the appeals board updated its travel manual to require employees to obtain prior approval from their supervisor for any travel plans. In addition, the appeals board now requires supervisors to audit their employees' travel claims to determine the necessity, reasonableness, validity, completeness, and accuracy of the travel expenses. Furthermore, the appeals board updated its travel manual to include guidance to its employees on how to properly designate their headquarters location. Finally, the appeals board posted its new travel manual on its intranet. (2010-406 p.63)

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented

All Recommendations in 2008-103

Agency responses received after June 2013 are posted verbatim.