Is that always NOT okay or are there exceptions? Ethics section
Client? In many cases , it might be okay, but you gotta disclose it to your employer ALWAYS. If an analyst is covering a company then When the analyst is taken to obscure locations where commercial flights don’t fly. The company charters a flight for you. In all other cases, the right thing for you is to pay for the expenses yourselves.
Will this be different if a client /prospective pays for a meal? I have a personal case.
When a research analyst covers a company in situ, the employer of the analyst must pay all meals, accommodations and flights necessary for the task. However, there are some cases when the place to go is a nowhere, distant area, so the client/company analized can provide private transport / meals / accommodations but the analyst must tell the client her independence and objetivity are not regard to those “favors”. Obviously the employer knows the case, if not, it must be disclosed properly.