How to Review Per Diem Exceptions

A per diem exception is a documented decision to depart from an organization's normal per diem treatment for a particular trip or circumstance. It should not become a substitute for checking whether the traveler, dates, or costs qualify under the written policy. Eligibility, covered meals or days, calculation methods, and evidence can depend on organizational policy and jurisdiction. Consult the applicable policy and jurisdiction; do not apply an assumed rate or local rule. This workflow helps a reviewer decide a specific exception request and preserve its rationale.

Establish the baseline before reviewing the exception

First identify the trip dates, business purpose, destination, traveler, and the policy version that applies. Confirm whether the policy uses per diem for this trip and which costs it covers. Check whether any supplied lodging, meals, event registration, or other arrangement changes the normal treatment under that policy. The employee should identify the specific departure sought, such as a different eligible day or a documented circumstance the policy recognizes, rather than asking for a general waiver.

Request evidence tied to the stated circumstance

Match evidence to the exception. A changed itinerary can support a request about travel dates; an event agenda or booking record may clarify which meals were provided; a written note from the relevant organizer can help explain a required schedule change. Request only information needed to decide the issue. A receipt alone may show a purchase but not why policy treatment should differ. If the policy specifies a particular record or approval before travel, verify that requirement and record any gap.

Keep the decision narrow

State the exact dates, cost type, or circumstance covered by the exception, its rationale, and any conditions. Do not turn approval for one trip into a standing policy change. A recurring or broad request belongs with the policy owner for formal review.

Worked example: meals included at a conference

An employee submits a trip using the organization's per diem process and requests an exception because a conference registration included one meal, while the event schedule changed the employee's departure date. The reviewer checks the itinerary, conference agenda, registration details, and relevant policy language about provided meals and eligible travel days. The reviewer asks which meal was included and whether the travel-date change was required for the work assignment. If evidence supports different treatment for one day, the approver records that limited decision and explains how the remaining days are treated under policy. The employee is asked to correct the claim if it still includes an item that the policy excludes.

Approve, return, or escalate transparently

The authorized reviewer should record one outcome: approve the narrowly defined exception, decline with the policy basis, request specified evidence, or escalate an interpretation question. If the request is incomplete, identify the missing trip fact or supporting record and leave the decision open. If the applicable policy is ambiguous, consult its owner rather than improvising a rate or applying a rule from a different jurisdiction. For a denied or corrected claim, use the organization's established correction and reimbursement process, keep the initial request visible, and document the final amount and disposition.

• Confirm the trip and the policy baseline.
• Match evidence to the specific exception requested.
• Keep the approver, rationale, scope, and conditions on record.
• Correct the claim or escalate unresolved policy questions.