Renaming "Overnight allowance" in "Overnight" in NextGen UI leads to overpayments

[Torsten]

Hello all,

In NextUI, the "Overnight allowance" is called "Overnight" or in German "Übernachtungspauschale" is called "Übernachtung”. Because the designation in the NextUI is no longer clear, users activate the checkbox even if they have stayed overnight in a hotel.  This leads to overpayments. It is therefore imperative that the designations be changed back to " Overnight allowance " or "Übernachtungpauschale". In response to an SAP Concur ticket, we received the answer that the designations in the NextUI cannot be renamed. Is this really the case?

Best regards

Torsten

[KevinD]

@Torsten I am fairly certain the response you received is accurate. Unless other customers come forward with the same issue, this will stay as is. 

[Torsten]

@KevinD 

Hello Kevin,
thanks for your response.

In fact, I'm surprised that I can't find any other posts on the subject here in the community.

We have a massive problem with this and I don't think that the term is only misleading for our employees 😉

I hope that other community members will read this article and confirm it.

A renaming to the previous, unambiguous name should not be a big deal for Concur.

Best regards,

Torsten

[CaJu]

@KevinD  What is the reason to take away the feature to translate texts in NextGen UI? This is one step forward and two steps back ....

[KevinD]

@CaJu I'm not exactly sure what you mean? Users can change the default language of the product. Also, Site Admins can use the Localization option for translating. 

Are you referring to something else? 

[CaJu]

Hi @Kevin ,

regading

"...Also, Site Admins can use the Localization option for translating. "....

I know this was possible before switching to NextGen (UI & TA) however since the change no texts are being found anymore in the translation area...

Please show us where to change "Übernachtung" into "Übernachtungspauschale". That would help us a lot....

According to support (Case 19540197) this is not possible anymore.

[Torsten]

Hi @CaJu , @KevinD,

We have found a solution (with a small flaw).

The column headings for the adjustments can already be changed today (see below).

-> However, only in one language <-

The possibility to translate these changes should come in Q1 next year.

Admin -> Expense -> Travel Allowance Configuration -> Configuration Codes -> Field Control -> Lodging Type

Best regards,

Torsten

[SirJ_BE]

Hi @Torsten ,

Did you manage to rename the field using this feature? I added a custom name but the change does not reflect in the UI. Thanks.

[Torsten]

Hi @SirJ_BE,

You can now rename the field names separately for each language using "Custom Localization".

BR,

Torsten

[dr_dumi]

Hi All,

I currently have approximately the same situation in Sweden. English language is not a barrier here, but the Overnight naming is often ambiguous for some of the users, as many thinks it refers to a normal 24h accommodation and ticks the option while creating the travel allowance. I really hope there is a way to change this Overnight label into something else, like private accommodation or something, otherwise it increases the processing times for some of the reports.

[Pas1702]

I would like to mention that i'm affected with the same Problem as mentioned by Torsten... it should really be corrected

regards

Pascal

[Torsten]

Hi @Pas1702 

You can now rename the field names separately for each language using "Custom Localization".

BR,

Torsten

[Stego8]

Hi @Torsten,

the statement "users activate the checkbox even if they have stayed overnight in a hotel" is concerning. Maybe it is different in other countries, but at least per German tax law and according to all sources I could find, the tax-free overnight flat may only be paid if employees have stayed in a hotel or paid for equivalent accomodation. If employees spend the night privately at no cost, they are not eligible for overnight compensation, e.g. with family and friends, shared the bed with a colleague they liked, in a car, in an air plane, at the airport, in a disco - this all does not qualify for overnight compensation. The sole intention of the overnight flat seems to be to make it easier for some companies to manage travel expenses, as they don't need to take care of gathering and analysing invoices/receipts in this case. It's not meant to be a tax-free bonus for people traveling - that would be fraud.

I believe it's a fairly common misconception that this overnight flat may be paid out freely when organizing a stay privately. And the Concur checkbox/info fields do not highlight this properly. Maybe it should state that the box may only be checked if someone paid for accomodation but does not want to show the invoice, but I would think this would be a highly questionable as well. It might only be legal (but I'm not a lawyer) if someone wants to take the overnight flat and choses a really cheap hotel. But what company wants to put employees into cheap, non-approved hotels?
As Concur makes it easy to submit hotel invoices, I think the "overnight" checkbox should be disabled in Germany altogether. It only entices people and/or companies to (involuntary) tax fraud by paying out money tax free.

Sources:

https://www.personio.de/hr-lexikon/uebernachtungspauschale/

https://sevdesk.de/lexikon/uebernachtungspauschale/

https://www.getmoss.com/guide/dienstreise/uebernachtungspauschale/

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/estg/__9.html

https://www.ra-wittig.de/urteile/spesenbetrug-im-aussendienst-wirksame-fristlose-kuendigung/