Absolutely, in no way whatsoever should this money be given to the employer The employer has not been inconvenienced in any way! It's not like they said, oh we accidentally overcharged you for the ticket, so here is $700 refund in which case it definitely would be wrong to keep the money.

The only ethical problem would be if the employer made you give the money to them which I also think would be illegal!

what he said

if yes, then is your job worth the amount of the VDB

if no, then its yours, no question required

.....

Name three.

Three? I'd love to see a single example of a travel policy that specifies that government-mandated personal compensation must lawfully be handed over to the employer.

I agree. I've worked in government, private sector and non-profit none have ever required personal compensation be handed over. I'd even question whether they could legally.

I worked for a large company (535 locations) a few years ago. I took a VDB on the way back from a trip and got a $300 voucher plus as I was paid overtime until I arrived home, I billed the extra hours.

Looking back, I realize this was not a smart move. I think if I were the OP I'd talk to my immediate supervisor and see what their opinion on it was. Chan of command and all.

.....

It's not fraud at all. I was paid until I got home. I didn't bill for any time after getting home. Not did I misrepresent why I got home later. It was unprofessional and dishonest, but fraud is not the correct term.

How about " an unjust windfall" ? looks like you had your cake and ate it too ?

Oh I concur. But it was at a time in my life when I was really good at justifying why everything was everyone's fault but mine. Thankfully, I grew out of that phase.

A concur. When I travel for business and I get vouchers for meals I use them. If I got a free hotel I always took it, but lately the quality of hotel and sleep I get (and occasions that actually grant them) makes me prefer to get a hotel room comparable to a normal stay and just expense it. Since there was no additional expense and the payment is for inconvenience, not for expenses incurred due to delay, the OP is entitled to this payment. I'd run it through HR just in case because word travels fast in my company even when you tell no one. If I incurred hotel and food costs I'd probably turn in the money.

I had a WX issue cause me to fly into ELM instead of ITH. I got a rental car (that I wasn't allotted for this trip otherwise) and submitted the receipt to Delta. Delta paid, I never submitted that receipt to work. If Delta hadn't paid before I submitted, I would have turned the check over to my company after the fact. Not worth being fired over $140.

I have no qualms about expensing meals/hotel/parking after legitimate delays, but ->

If I VDB'd I'd consider everything beyond what I usually would have expensed on my own....except parking. I do break up parking if I have a couple personal days in a business trip, but the way the parking is charged usually doesn't factor in unless it's a whole 24 hour delay.

That is a sick idea. This kind of logic assumes that you are a slave. Many employers think that way on many fronts not only travel. But at the end of analysis - this is slave-owner mentality.

The intent of the law presumably is (1) to compensate the person suffering the delay; (2) provide civil penalty/incentives; (3) force airlines to improve their operations which airlines for years failed to do; (4) recognize that passengers are human beings with life plans, commitments and obligations.

Yes the windfall is rightfully kept by the employee.
If the employer desires compensation for damages caused by the delay inflicted on its employee - they can ask independently - but not under that specific law.

Providing you weren't originally schedule to arrive home in time to go to work, then it's all your personal inconvenience. If you would have worked that day (even partially), then it's also your employer's loss.

Keep it. It's your time and you were inconvenienced. The company paid for the business trip and you fulfilled your responsibility. Life on the road isn't easy. This helps even things out a little.