--- Jay Heuman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>      It is my belief that more museums ought to permit
> employees more administrative (paid) leave for continued
> education and related professional activities (such as
> attendance at conferences, symposia, etc.).  The fees for
> such opportunities, unless budgeted by the museum AND a
> requirement of the job (specified in the job description),
> ought to be the responsibility of the employee.  This means
> the museum has no direct pay out of monies not already
> budgeted.

While I agree with you on the paid leave, I don't on the last statement that
conference fees should be the responsibility of the employee. Museums should
try and pay for these things and put them in the budget. If they are never
budgeted then you will never have the chance to get the money for them. I
believe that no museum is so strapped for a few hundred dollars that it can't
pay at least registration fees. If you are that strapped, then you really need
to take a good hard look at your budget and where money is going.

It might be a good idea at the beginning of the year to get all the staff
together and go over all the applicable conferences/workshops that are coming
up and see who wants to attend what. Tally the registration fees, lodging, per
diem and travel costs and see what you can afford. This is where compromises
come in. Are you going to foot the bill for one person and all of their
expenses or just cover registration for everyone? Are you going to set a
rotating schedule to who gets to go each year? Since annual events are usually
planned out a few years in advance, maybe you can negotiate what year people
go.

As for personal expenses, two words - TAX DEDUCTION. Please people, if you
aren't itemizing these expenses that you pay out of pocket you are robbing
yourself. Keep your receipts for EVERYTHING. Visit a museum on vacation -
deduct the entrance fee. It's research and can be counted as a business
expense. Get a new book related to your job? Again, another business expense.
Dues to professional organizations, magazine subscriptions, or other
professional related services are tax deductable. Run errands for the museum
using your car and don't get mileage from the museum for it? Mileage to
ANYTHING not too and from your usual job site is deductable. It all adds up,
sometimes to hundreds or thousands per year. AAM and IPS for me are $100 per
year alone. Talk to an accountant if you aren't sure what you can count or not.
If you have to pay to talk to someone, that's deductable as well.

For those who work for local, state or federal institutions, ask for government
rates. Those can make a BIG difference. Sometimes state and local governments
aren't counted as the government rate or get different ones than the Federal
rate but it usually ends up to be cheaper than the rack or even conference
rate. For example, at a conference in Worchester, MA that i'm attending in May,
the conference rate is $130 per night. Since I work for the SI, I asked for the
govie rate and go $79/night. What a difference.

Also, get on any travel frequent flyer/rental/hotel stay plan you can. It too
adds up. With the competition now, most airline and car rentals offer the same
or matching rates so it pays to stick with one company. Marriott rewards is
excellent and covers their cheaper line of hotels like Courtyard and Residence
Inns. I have a United credit card which gets me miles and a Marriott card which
converts to miles as well. After about 5 years of having it, I have enough for
a free trip to Australia in business class. For North America flights, it's
only about 25,000 miles for a free ticket. With all the booster miles and
promotions, you can easily earn it within a couple of years.

And credit cards now have balance transfer interest rates of 5% or less so you
might as well charge your expenses and pay them off gradually. $1000 in total
expenses for a conference isn't a huge price to pay if it lands you a better
job or greatly enhances your work. And if you prove that conferences are worth
going to, maybe your museum will help chip in for expenses next year.

So be resourceful and get out there!!

Deb


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