When Will the University Pay for Social Event Meals?
When local funds are available, the
University will generally reimburse an individual for the cost of meals that are
part of activities such as team building events, holiday celebrations for employees, and similar events that
are primarily social in nature but which nonetheless support the University's mission. In order to qualify
for payment or reimbursement, a social event meal must:
- Have departmental approval
- Support the University's mission
- Include more than one person
- Be properly documented with itemized original receipts, approvals, and other required information
- Adhere to the meal expenditure limits and other restrictions
- Have the required approving signatures prior to purchase
The University will NOT pay for social event meals in recognition or
honor of particular individuals (e.g. wedding or baby showers).
Expense Limits
Social event meal expenses may be paid only up to specific dollar
limits per person per meal on local funds only, never on state funds.
- There are meal expense limits for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and an overall limit per day. These limits can be found on the
Local Funds Lodging and Meal Limits table.
- Incidentals are included as part of the specific meal limits.
Other Restrictions
Required Approvals
- ALL social event meals require the signature of a Dean, Vice President, or designee on an appropriate approval document PRIOR to incurring expenses for the meal.
- Written approval of Dean or Vice President is required if the combined meal cost for all participants exceeds $400.
- Reimbursement for purchase of alcohol may require approval by Dean or Vice President - see below.
Purchases of Alcohol
- Alcohol both purchased and consumed with meals, where the cost of alcohol does not exceed the cost of the meal,
requires no additional approvals. However, if the cost of the alcohol exceeds the cost of the meal, written approval of a
Dean or Vice President is required.
- All other purchases of alcohol for social event meal consumption
require the signature of Dean or Vice President.
Please note: Information on circumstances
under which alcohol may be served at the University is
published in
Policy VII.F.3, "Sale of Alcoholic Beverages", which does not address the
payment restrictions above.
Direct Payment vs. Reimbursement
Please note: Before making arrangements
for the meal, use the Goods and Services Procurement Guide to ensure that your
social event meal is purchased by an allowable method for the particular circumstances
and costs.
Reimbursement
Generally, individuals should pay for non-catered social event meals
and then request reimbursement using the Payment Voucher.
Reimbursement requests for catered social event meals are discouraged.
Direct Payment to Vendor
This method of payment for social event meals is very limited, and can be made only in the following circumstances:
- Petty cash advances for social event meals when reimbursement is not practical.
- Catered meals supplied by either external or internal vendors.
- Unprepared food (e.g. grocery store items) purchased with the University Purchasing Card.
Procedure for obtaining both reimbursement and direct payments to vendors is provided below.
Social Event Meal Payment and Reimbursement Procedures
Documentation
- There must be itemized original receipts for all expenses for which payment is sought.
- A document with purpose or reason for meal, combined cost of meals,
number of participants, names of participants if fewer than six or
affiliations of participants if there are six or more, inclusion
or exclusion of alcohol, and all required
approving signatures must be completed prior to purchase.
The exception to this requirement is when the Petty Cash Voucher is used
to replenish a petty cash account following the disbursement of funds
for a social event meal. In that case, the original of the signed approval
document must be sent to Procurement Services, and a copy should be retained in its place
by the department.
- The signed original of this document with Voucher
Number noted, along with all receipts, must be kept with the Payment Voucher in the
requesting department for three years plus current fiscal year.
- All information required on the approval document,
as described above, must also be supplied in the payment method's documentation
(Purchasing Card Log, Payment Voucher Paper Clip, etc.).
Reimbursement
Reimbursement requests for catered social event meals are discouraged and may be rejected.
To Request Reimbursement to an individual:
- Submit a Payment Voucher in the Integrated System. See Payment Voucher on requirements for payees in Integrated System.
- Include all information required for a social event meal in the Paper Clip attachment area of the form.
Direct Payment to Vendors
To Pay an External Caterer up to $5,000 with a Payment Voucher
- Must not be used for purchases totaling $5,000 or more.
- Submit a Payment Voucher in the Integrated System. See Payment Voucher on requirements
for vendors in Integrated System.
- Include all information required for a social event meal in the Paper Clip attachment area of the form.
To Pay an External Caterer $5,000 or more
- Submit a Purchase Requisition in the Integrated System prior to arranging the purchase.
- Include all information required for a social event meal in the Paper Clip attachment area of the form.
- A Procurement Services buyer will work with you to arrange the purchase and will create a Purchase Order.
To Pay with the University Purchasing Card
- May be used only for unprepared food purchased from a grocery store,
or to pay an external catering vendor that is not a restaurant or hotel.
- Follow University Purchasing Card policies and procedures.
- All cardholder and program limits apply.
- Include all information required for a social event meal in the "comments" section of the Purchasing
Card Log, adding an attachment if necessary.
To Pay With Petty Cash
- Follow Petty Cash policies and the Petty Cash Replenishment procedures.
- All Petty Cash limitations apply.
- Be sure that all required information for a social event meal is on
the signed original approval document forwarded to Procurement Services.
To Pay an Internal Caterer With a Cost Transfer
- Can only be paid to specified University internal caterers.
- Use an OGM cost transfer in the Integrated System, per your training and the
vendor's instructions.
All payments will be reviewed by Procurement Services prior to
disbursement to determine that they are correct and permissible under current
policies and procedures.
