At UCSD, "entertainment" is the provision of meals or light refreshments for a bona fide UCSD business purpose. Entertainment usually involves a guest-host relationship in which a designated host invites an official guest or guests to attend an event. There should be no personal benefit to the person acting as host or to other employees.
There are two types of entertainment, with distinct policies and guidelines:
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Standard entertainment is limited to specific types of events, cost per-person, and approval authority.
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Exceptional entertainment requires additional approval for certain types of events, for when costs exceed the per-person maximum, and for when a spouse or partner is included.
Approval: For accountability and control, a limited number of individuals are authorized to approve entertainment expenses. Learn more about Approving Entertainment.
Reimbursement: Follow the guidelines for requesting reimbursement online using Payment Authorization for Entertainment.
Note: Alternatively, a paper form (Excel) is available if you wish to have payment issued directly to the host's UCSD Travel Card or make multiple payments to a host by completing a single transaction. See instructions.
Maximum rates: Read the guidelines for the per-person maximum allowable expense for meals.
Sources of funding: When requesting reimbursement for entertainment, guidelines for fund source use apply. See restrictions on fund sources.
Other entertainment essentials:
Some occasions are misinterpreted as entertainment, but are not eligible for reimbursement due to their personal nature. While length-of-service and retirement occasions are considered entertainment, the following are not:
- Anniversaries
- Birthdays
- Farewell gatherings (with few exceptions)
- Weddings
Other events or expenses are misinterpreted as entertainment, but are still eligible for reimbursement under different reimbursement procedures. Examples:
- Events
- Fund raiser, community event, open house, or other large event with no set number of participants
- Lecture series where light refreshments are incidental to the event's purpose
- Training session or annual planning retreat where all meals are included in the agenda (such as a working lunch)
Note: See the events checklist for additional guidance
- Expenses
- Conference room rental, venue rental, or other non-food items such as supplies for an event, when no food expense is claimed
- Non-cash gifts, such as flowers or gift certificates
- Non-cash employee recognition awards, such as flowers or plaques
- Payments or meals for performing artists
- Recruitment meals for athletic teams
- Volume purchases of minimal items for customary hospitality such as water or plain coffee
Note: If purchases are for an administrative meeting, entertainment policies and procedures apply. (This is also true for purchases through Marketplace Preview such as coffee and snack items.) For more information, see guidelines for reimbursements and payments.
Questions? See Travel contacts to find someone who can help you.
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