TCS Global Process Note - Expense Claim Workflows

 

 

TCS Glo Global bal Process Pro cess Not ote e  – Expens  Expense e Claims Work Workflo flows ws VERSION 6.0

 

 

 

2014

This is a controlled document. Unauthorised access, copying and replication are prohibited. This document must not be copied in whole or in parts by any means, means, without the wri tten auth oris ation o f t he Head Head - Global Global HR, TCS or Deputy Head Head Glob al HR, TCS.

Notice  Document Release Notice  This Global Process Note on Expense Claims, Version 6.0, is published for use u se in TATA Consultancy Services (TCS) with effect from 01 August 2018. This document is subject to TCS Document Control Procedure. Procedure . Soft copy of the latest version of this document is available in MyHR in Knowmax. This document was last updated / reviewed on 30 July 2018.

 Ap pr oved ov ed B By: y:  Samir Seksaria (Corporate Finance)  Ap pr oved ov ed B By: y: Dr. Ritu Anand (Deputy Head – Head – Global  Global HR)  Au th or is ed By: B y:  Ajoy Mukherjee (Head – (Head – Global  Global HR)

TCS Confidential

2

 

 

 Ap pl ic abi abilili ty   This process note is applicable to all Employees, Business Associates, Contract Consultants, ACE Interns and Academic Interns of TCS globally. Certain countries may be excluded from the scope of this process due to local statutory regulations. Introduction TCS recognises that it needs to reimburse employees for various business related expenses that they may incur on behalf of the company. Claims are payable based on locally established TCS policies that largely describe the entitlements, and reimbursements relating to one’s employment with TCS. This document provides information on the claims process workflows through Global Employee Self Services (GESS). Access to GESS modules may vary based on employment types. Provisions The concept of ‘Straight Through Employee Reimbursement Processing’ (STERP) has been introduced to improve organisational efficiencies and contribute to employee satisfaction. Claims Workflows in TCS are designed to: -

Simplify and expedite the claim reimbursement process through reduced layers of approvals

-

Promote a culture of trust and respect for individuals

-

Empower projects and employees, thereby broadening decision rights and accountability

1. Straight Through Employee Reimbursement Process To ensure that an employee is reimbursed immediately, approvals and verification of supporting documents will be undertaken either simultaneously or after the employee has been paid. Claim requests are validated for the following parameters, based on which the employee will be given an option to select between STERP and the conventional approval workflow. i.

Soft copies of supporting documents uploaded

ii.

Automated Sampling and Review

iii.

Rollover Credit Limit

iv.

Daily Limit

v.

Transactional Limit

On selection of STERP, either one of the following takes place: -

The Request is system-approved and payment is processed immediately

-

The payment is processed immediately for the Employee and the workflow process continues subsequently.

TCS Confidential

3

 

 

The Project Supervisor will receive a summary of all STERP claims raised against their S/WON on a daily basis. Details of claims will be available through GESS and one may write to [email protected] [email protected]  in case of any discrepancies or clarifications. Note: Note:   i.

The option for STERP may may not be available for all employees as it is determined based on the

ii.

five parameters listed above. STERP is not not applicable to Professional Professional Membersh Membership ip and and Reimbursem Reimbursement ent of Certification Certification Fees.

2. Submission of Supporting Documents  All claims including STERP will be reimbursed based on soft copies of supporting documents. Employees are expected to retain hard copies of the original bills/receipts, for re-submission in future, if required. Note: For all claim requests which mandatorily require submission of proof of expense, self-attested scanned proofs must be submitted in GESS, irrespective of the amount being claimed.  

3. Treatment Treatment of Pre-advance Pre-advance Claims that have been paid may be cancelled, rejected, or partially approved, at a later stage. In such a case, the amount paid will be treated as ‘Pre‘Pre -advance’ against the employee and will have to be returned to the company through one of the following methods: i.

Adjustment against a new claim.

ii.

Reimbursement by employee to local Finance.

iii.

Adjustment on authorisation in the Full and Final settlement in case the employee separates.

Responsibil ities Employee Responsibil Employees are encouraged to: i.

Be aware of the policy, policy, eligibility and amount amount they are entitled to claim; and comply with the policy.

ii.

Have their supervisor's consent for incurring the expense

iii.

Raise expense claims under the correct expense head and project S/WONs for accounting purposes, within the given timelines.

iv.

To ensure compliance with Goods and Service Tax (GST) in India, norms certain mandatory requirements will require to be provided at the time of submission of reimbursement requests. These may include confirmation on availability of Vendor GST registration number and the details of such number where it exists; details on whether the reimbursement pertains to goods or services; details of invoice and so on. Employees are expected to cooperate with the same.

TCS Confidential

4

 

 

Compliance and Checks Reports will be available online to enable regular reviews of claims. Past history of claims may be studied basis which a claim may be rejected or escalated for investigation and action. Any investigation will follow the Principles of Natural Justice. Disciplinary Action Employees who make an erroneous claim, or are paid for a claim that is not subsequently considered valid, must ensure that any amount already paid to them, is duly returned to TCS. Employees found not complying with or misusing the provisions as per the applicable TCS policy, or involved in any fraudulent claim, including submission of fraudulent supporting documents will be liable to strict disciplinary action, including termination as per the locally established TCS policy in the country of operation.

Terms rms and Conditions Te 1. All entitlements apply as per per the applicable claims policy, and limits defined within the policy. 2. Tax liability wi willll be calculated based on individual country laws. 3. All expenses related to entitlements are booked against the respective Project (S)WON. 4. All reimbursements are through a direct deposit in the employee's bank or Employee Employee Reimbursement Account or the locally applicable payment method. 5. TCS reserves the right to change or discontinue any/all provision/s of this process at any point of time.

TCS Confidential

5

 

 

Definitions Term

Definition

 Au to mat mated ed Sampling and Review Process

Employees may be considered for automated sampling and a nd review as per internal guidelines. During such time, only the conventional approval workflow will be followed.

Daily Da ily Limit

 A per day limit defined for all type of claims.

GESS

Global Employee Self Service (GESS) is TCS’ internal system that addresses various processes related to employee relocation services such as travel management including financial transactions, visa processing, vacation and expense accounting.

Pre-advance

If a claim amount is paid to the employee and cancelled by the initiator or rejected by the approver or during automated sampling and review process, the amount is converted to an advance (i.e. an outstanding payment against the employee) and is termed as Pre-advance.

Roll Over Credit Limit

 A limit set for an employee which determines the claim amount reimbursable through Straight Through Employee Reimbursement Processing (STERP).

Transactional Limit

 A limit defined per transaction based on the applicability of claim types which is common for employees across countries. The limit is dynamic based on certain decisive criteria.

TCS Confidential

6

 

 

Re Revision vision List Revision Version

Policy effective

Document Revision

No.

date

Date

Revision Description

Section No.

Rationale for Change

Change Type

Policy / Process /

(add/modify / delete)

Document revision

6.0

01 August 2018

30 2018

July

Claim requests will be processed based on scanned copies of valid bills/receipts

Provisions

Change GESS Claims process

in

Modify

Policy Revision

5.0

No change

07 2017

Dec

Updated applicability for STERP process

Provisions   STERP (Note)

Documentati on of existing practice

Delete

Document Revision

4.0

01 July 2017

30 June 2017

Updated clause related to Goods and Service Tax (GST)

Employee Responsibilit ies

Statutory Compliance

 Add

Policy Revision

3.0

20 Feb 2016

27 2016

Revised procedure submission supporting documents.

Provisions

Change GESS Claims process

Modify

Document Revision

2.0

24 Feb 2014

26 March 2014

Document changes

Throughout the document

 Additional clarity

Modify

Document revision

1.0   1.0

24 Feb 2014   2014

24 2014   2014

First Release

NA  NA 

NA   NA

NA   NA

New release   release

TCS Confidential

May

Feb

for of

level

7

in