Business Meal and Employee Recognition Required Practice

All units within the university must adhere to FSM Policy 9.13 Business Meals. It is important to note that there are set restrictions on types of items and events that can be charged as a Business Meal and caps on the amount per person the unit is able to spend for a given Business Meal activity. Some activities are suitable for or limited to “light refreshments”.  The Division defines this as items such as non-alcoholic beverages and some light snacks, such as iced tea and cookies, cake and punch, granola bars, a veggie tray, etc. 

Business Meals cannot be charged to State accounts and are restricted on Sponsored accounts unless they are specifically budgeted and approved by the sponsor.

Failure to be aware of and follow requirements laid out by FSM 9.13 can result in disapproval of Requisitions, non-payment or reduced reimbursement, or suspension or cancellation of a PCard.

Within the Division, Business Meal expenses that include food and/or drinks are to be done with heavy scrutiny.   Food and drinks may only be accompanied when: 1. It is necessary to further the Division and university missions, 2. When it is a professionally-expected or required courtesy for fostering partnerships/relationships, or 3. When the event is funded by a grant/sponsored project where food/drink is an allowable expense under the grant terms and budget and/or the business meeting or event is with a grant stakeholder/sponsor and will further the mission of the grant purpose.

Any food and/or drinks purchased for an activity hosted by any ALVSCE unit must have a clear, detailed justification as to why it was a necessary purchase and how the food and/or drinks, specifically, furthered the official university business activities. If unsure whether a business meal would be justified for a specific activity, units must consult with their Business Office or with Division Business Services prior to ordering and paying for any items to avoid potential disapproval and repayment.

When purchasing food or drinks as part of an official business activity, make sure to reference the ALVSCE Food and Alcohol Guidelines. The Division adheres to FSO amount per person spending limits for Light Refreshments, Breakfast and Lunch tiers, with a per person cap for dinner meals of $40. 

Units should avoid paying unnecessary catering or delivery charges for light snacks and beverages by picking up in-person ahead of time.  Business offices should consider completing a cost analysis to determine whether necessary items for an event could be purchased for a lower cost at a grocery or wholesale store rather than ordering from a restaurant establishment when possible.

An RSVP or sign-in sheet is required for any event/activity where a Business Meal is being provided to verify compliance with university and ALVSCE policy. Each person should have a credible business purpose for attending. A copy of the RSVP list or sign-in sheet must be submitted, along with other associated documentation.
 

ALLOWABLE ALVSCE activities:

• Workshops/conferences/professional development events hosted by a unit within the Division where 10 or more people are present
  • This includes business meetings with students and/or events that benefit students or support student recruitment/engagement
  • Limited to “light refreshments” when event is less than a full day. Please reference above for definition of types of items permitted.
• Faculty or Administrator interview candidate meals
  • Consult FSM 9.13 for details on attendee requirements
• Meals with non-university seminar speakers
• Meals with prospective/current donors or external partners to further support Division mission delivery
• Student Convocation and Award Events
  • Must follow University guidelines for these events including how to calculate allowable costs per person
• Employee Recognition and Retirement Events
  • Employee Recognition events are permitted no more than 1 annually. This is one event per department. Examples of a department: ALVSCE, CE, AES, CALES, BE, ACBS, Pima County CE, SAES, etc.
• Retiree farewell events are allowable if the individual is leaving the university on Official Retirement Status.
  • Retirement events are restricted to “light refreshments” with a $10 cap per person and an overall expense maximum of no more than $300 per event, including applicable taxes and tip. 
• Drinking water for employees and guests

PROHIBITED activities:

• Purchase of food for routine staff, department or lab meetings that are not related to sponsored activities
  • If purchase of food or drink for a sponsored activity is permitted within the award budget, this must be clearly stated in the transaction’s business purpose
• Impromptu lunch or dinner meetings with other U of A colleagues where an office meeting or phone call would be sufficient for carrying out business
• Food purchases for staff/faculty/students when required work falls during a regularly scheduled mealtime
• On-hand supply of coffee, tea or snacks for future meetings/events
• Use of university funds to pay for meals of spouses or family members of U of A faculty/staff/students, unless they are also U of A employees and are directly tied to the specific event/meeting
  • In the event a spouse or family member is in attendance, their costs must be paid for separately when using a PCard or must be excluded from an expense report if requesting reimbursement.
• Alcohol may never be purchased on university funds. Purchases using UA Foundation accounts must be pre-approved by the unit leader and follow the ALVSCE Food and Alcohol Guidelines.

All Business Meal expenses must have a justified, comprehensive business purpose and include the following documentation:

• Detailed meeting agenda or full event program
• Date and location
• Itemized receipt or invoice
• List of all attendees and their relationship to the university