A travel policy template with the evidence attached

Every clause marked enforceable or unenforceable, with the count of suppliers that actually publish the commitment behind it.

Use it as a checklist against the policy you already have. Where a clause is marked unenforceable, the fix is nearly always the same: replace the requirement with a named shortlist derived from the relevant index, so the obligation sits with the supplier who published the commitment rather than the traveler who cannot verify it.

The clauses, with the evidence

1. Book a room where you can sleep

Unenforceable as written. 30 of 50 brands publish no quiet-room, sleep or late-checkout commitment at all, and none publishes all three. (The Sales-Ready Index)

2. Wi-Fi must be good enough for a customer call

Unenforceable as written. Not one of the 50 brands publishes all three connectivity commitments, so "good enough for a call" is not a standard anyone has agreed to meet. (The Sales-Ready Index)

3. A proper desk and light to work by

Unenforceable as written. 1 of 50 brands commit to a desk, work lighting and outlets as a published standard. (The Sales-Ready Index)

4. Somewhere to host a meeting, and breakfast before an early start

Enforceable if you name names. 19 of 50 brands publish all three — a real shortlist, so this clause works if you name the brands rather than the requirement. (The Sales-Ready Index)

5. Receipts must arrive without chasing

Enforceable. 40 of 50 brands publish app checkout, automatic receipts and a credible early check-in process. (The Sales-Ready Index)

6. Book through the approved channel and expense it cleanly

Unenforceable as written. 0 of 10 booking channels publish an itemised invoice, a corporate profile and virtual-card acceptance together. (The Booking Channel Index)

7. Use the channel with the best price

Enforceable if you name names. 2 of 10 channels publish an all-in price before checkout together with a price guarantee and drop protection. (The Booking Channel Index)

8. The expense platform covers duty of care

Unenforceable as written. 6 of 10 platforms publish none of 24/7 human support, in-app rebooking or traveler tracking; 1 publishes all three. (The Expense Velocity Index)

9. Out-of-policy spend is caught at the point of sale

Enforceable. 10 of 10 platforms publish real-time policy at the swipe, zero-touch reports and documented ERP sync. (The Expense Velocity Index)

How to adapt this without breaking it

Two rules. First, never mandate an attribute that fewer than half the field publishes — you are writing a rule your own suppliers will break. Second, re-derive the shortlists rather than freezing them: these counts come off the Index Desk on every build, and a supplier that adds a commitment should be able to earn its way onto your list without anyone rewriting the document.

What this template deliberately does not cover

Compensable travel time for non-exempt employees, per-diem rates and tax treatment. Those are employment-law and tax questions, not supplier-commitment questions, and this publication measures what vendors promise — it does not interpret the Fair Labor Standards Act for your payroll. Take those to counsel, and to the primary sources, rather than to a travel publication.