Business Trips and Related Procedures,
Study Remarks
Vladimír Ulman, Igor Peterlík, Jan Obdržálek
Fl MU
DUVOD, November, 2015
european
social fund in the czech republic
EUROPEAN UNION
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, YOUTH AND SPORTS
OP Education for Competitiveness
INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT
Ulman, Peterlík, Obdržálek (Fl MU)
Business Trips, Study Remarks
DUVOD, Autumn 2015      0/ 17
Business Trip
Important legal notices, but roughly speaking...
What is and what is not a Business Trip (služební cesta)?
• Anything that's formally specified in an approved Travel Form (cestovní příkaz): given place, time span and relevant acting.
• In your contract, you'll find a work places (místa výkonu práce).
• For students, the work place is the assigned office and building.
• Travelling between these, travelling elsewhere, and working elsewhere is nota Business Trip if you were not ordered to do so.
• Acting according to an unapprovedTravel Form is also nota Business Trip.
• Students often need to sign a special single purpose contract to be able to conduct a Business Trip.
Ulman, Peterlík, Obdržálek (Fl MU)
Business Trips, Study Remarks
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Business Trip
What do I need for a business trip?
• A purpose: Conference, summer school, workshop, visit some lab
• A contract: Declares who is my boss to order me to go for a trip = Sending Employee (vysílající zaměstnanec)
• Money: Declares who is willing to pay for the fun = ... (správce rozpočtu)
• Expectation of overall expenses, which should not differ much from the final sum.
• A signed Travel Form. Students may need to use paper version from the Economic department.
• Travel form is mandatory even when your travel cost is 0 CZK — inviting side pays all.
• Do not forget to declare you're on a trip in the Leave taking (přehled čerpání dovolené) INET section.
Ulman, Peterlík, Obdržálek (Fl MU)
Business Trips, Study Remarks
DUVOD, Autumn 2015      2/ 17
Business Trip: Travel Form
• Two sections of the form: before the trip, after the trip
• Electronic version of the Travel Form is filled out in the INET
• Demonstration: https://inet.muni.cz/
Ulman, Peterlik, Obdrzälek (Fl MU)
Business Trips, Study Remarks
DUVOD, Autumn 2015      3/ 17
Business Trip: Travel Form
Things to consider when assessing total Related costs
• Registration payment, account for payments for social events
• Accommodation fees, use reasonable hotel not too far
• Estimate roughly food costs (diety), e.g. 45 EUR/day
• Sometimes you may get allowance (kapesné), always ask your supervisor
• Fare expenses, account also for local transport
• Keep the budget reasonably tight
• Start the procedure as soon as possible
• When and how much for Travel advance?
Ulman, Peterlík, Obdržálek (Fl MU)
Business Trips, Study Remarks
DUVOD, Autumn 2015      4/ 17
Business Trip: Payments
• Don't pay anything before your travel form is approved.
• It is better (for you) not to pay big amounts with your own money.
• An extra forms (kosilky) are obligatory for payments by the faculty.
• Dean secretary can handle online card payments.
• Department secretary can handle ordering of flight tickets (and other invoice-based orders).
• Negotiate with the Economic department when and where to pick the travel advance.
• Many people involved, do it well ahead of time.
Ulman, Peterlik, Obdrzälek (Fl MU)
Business Trips, Study Remarks
DUVOD, Autumn 2015      5/ 17
Business Trip: Using a Plane
• Typically one of the most expensive item
• Consider staying on a trip a day or two longer.
• You are not expected to choose a low-cost company.
• Plan arrival at airports at least 2 hours ahead.
• Double check your order!
• Check your confirmation of the flight
(https : / /www. checkmytrip . com).
• Check all flight advices written on the ticket.
• Check your passenger rights.
• Know the procedure:
check in, language drop in, safety zone, boarding time.
• Isn't it better to use a coach or a (night) train?
• Flying can (for the extra money) take more time and incur troubles with loss of luggage.
Ulman, Peterlik, Obdrzälek (Fl MU)
Business Trips, Study Remarks
DUVOD, Autumn 2015      6/ 17
Business Trip: Using a Car
• A comfortable option for short distances.
• But expensive for the employer.
• Perhaps, a more tricky/risky option as well.
• Requirements:
• Car must be registered at the faculty.
• Car must be all risk insured.
• Driver must pass a recent Training course for company car drivers (skoleni ndicu).
• Your boss must agree, otherwise you won't get full compensation.
Ulman, Peterlik, Obdrzälek (Fl MU)
Business Trips, Study Remarks
DUVOD, Autumn 2015      7/ 17
Business Trip: Good Practice
Plan well, plan carefully, plan responsibly
• Take enough time when changing.
• Learn how to reach the destination, Street view can help.
• Print a local map of how to reach the hotel, conference, railway station.
• Note down name and contacts to the hotel and conference secretariat.
• Check your GPS device (do you have the map uploaded?)
• Do not rely on your travel mate...
• Prepare for the foreign language, e.g.,
"Where's my receipt, please?" or "Can you get me a taxi, please?"
• Leave room for souvenirs in your luggage...
Ulman, Peterlik, Obdrzälek (Fl MU)
Business Trips, Study Remarks
DUVOD, Autumn 2015      8/ 17
Business Trip: Reimbursing
Especially important documents are:
• Invoice you'll get at the conference desk.
• Bill for the accommodation.
• Plane boarding ticket (even the little piece).
• Bills for bus, train tickets.
• Collect all bills you can and bring them home.
• You don't need to collect bills for food.
Ulman, Peterlik, Obdrzälek (Fl MU)
Business Trips, Study Remarks
DUVOD, Autumn 2015      9/ 17
Business Trip: Reimbursing
• You provide a summary of the costs broken down into: Days, Countries, Currencies, Cost categories.
• Transit airports are not taken into account.
• You must provide time-stamps when you crossed borders.
• Demonstration: https://inet.muni.cz/
• You must also provide:
• A white sheet with stamped bills and invoices
• A Travel Report
Ulman, Peterlik, Obdrzälek (Fl MU)
Business Trips, Study Remarks
DUVOD, Autumn 2015 10/17
Business Trip: Travel Report
• It servers two purposes:
• Explain why you went on a business trip and how you represented your employer.
• Provide extra explanation for the claimed costs if necessary.
• Examples from INET
Ulman, Peterlík, Obdržálek (Fl MU)
Business Trips, Study Remarks
DUVOD, Autumn 2015
11/17
Representing Faculty at a Business Trip
• Business Trip is usually Attending a Conference.
• It is not going on vacation by the sea.
• Oral and poster presentation guidelines:
http://biomedicalimaging.org/2 015/authors/ presentation-guidelines
• Training to Speak: www.brnotoastmasters.cz
• It's about presenting your work ( = representing the faculty)
• Collecting feedback, discussing
• Gathering contacts (also planning visits or study stays)
• Requires: talking to people (be open, not shy and isolated)
• Highly recommended: attending all social events...:-)
Ulman, Peterlik, Obdrzälek (Fl MU)
Business Trips, Study Remarks
DUVOD, Autumn 2015
12/17
The last part
Study Remarks
Ulman, Peterlik, Obdrzälek (Fl MU) Business Trips, Study Remarks DUVOD, Autumn 2015 13/17
Some More Ph.D. Introductory Courses
Courses that do teach.
• DACSE: Academic Communication Skills in English
• DPRPO: Guidelines for preparation of posters.
• DTEDI: Guidelines for writing Ph.D. Thesis Proposal.
Courses that provide advice.
• DPUBL: Mirrors the fact that student is preparing a paper.
• DVBDP: Governs supervising of Bachelor or Master theses. Besides, 2 hrs long session with tutor is available.
• DVVVT: Governs managing of RD team.
Ulman, Peterlík, Obdržálek (Fl MU)
Business Trips, Study Remarks
DUVOD, Autumn 2015
14/17
Supervising Final Theses
It is an overly inspiring and welcomed activity.
• You can supervise bachelor students. Master students, only after you pass state exam and thesis topic defence.
• It's a long term activity that
• may provide some reasonable outputs,
• does not always get you exactly what you wanted,
• consumes rather a great deal of time,
• teaches you be responsible, think in advance,
• teaches you organize student's work,
• teaches you leading them, supporting them.
• Relevant documents:
• https://www.fi.muni.cz/studies/BP_DP.xhtml.cs
• Notably: Instrukce pro studenty, Instrukce pro vedoucí a oponenty
Ulman, Peterlík, Obdržálek (Fl MU)
Business Trips, Study Remarks
DUVOD, Autumn 2015
15/17
Guarding at Exams
• Ask the teacher first about the requirements to pass, etc.
• Also ask the teacher about her policy and demands on students.
• At the exam, remind students all the rules (even the evident ones).
• Explicitly mention that you will collect the test immediately if they break the rules. Note that both students are guilty.
• You can even remind them about the "Disciplinární komise".
• If you spot misbehaviour, collect evidence: the test, names, time and date, place [Disciplinární řád, article 4].
• You handle it to the teacher, who handles it to the dean, who handles it to the committee.
• Relevant norms: SZR, Disciplinární řád Fl
• https://www.fi.muni.cz/about/important_ documents/index.xhtml.cs
Ulman, Peterlík, Obdržálek (Fl MU)
Business Trips, Study Remarks
DUVOD, Autumn 2015
16/17
Teaching Practicals
It is an overly inspiring and welcomed activity.
• Having a teaching experience is an important skill.
• Faculty welcomes Ph.D. students-teachers,
• ... and pays them extra money.
• Teaching learns one to:
• learn the topics a lot better;-),
• prepare and follow agenda of the sessions,
• organize time, deal with homeworks, be responsible,
• work in team (with the other tutors), fill in reports.
• Details are usually given at the meeting with the main teacher before the semestra. And many more details later on :-)
Ulman, Peterlik, Obdrzälek (Fl MU)
Business Trips, Study Remarks
DUVOD, Autumn 2015
17/17