Business Office, College of Forestry, Oregon State University

Refreshments or Meals at Department Functions

Refreshments or meals at departmental functions can be paid with university funds when the activity meets one of the following criteria:

Training or workshop lasting at least two hours.
Departmental staff retreat with written agenda and held away from the normal work location and in a private room.
Employee working meal with required attendance and business conducted during the meal period (as documented in meeting agenda). Location is not at a restaurant, unless in a private room. (This option should be used infrequently.)
Employee meal provided at worksite during an overtime period, two or more hours beyond the end of employee’s work shift, when duties prevent the employee from taking a meal break. This must be clearly documented.

University funds cannot be used to pay for employee meals or refreshments for regularly scheduled departmental meetings.

The request for payment must:

Document the purpose of the function, agenda, names of the attendees, and why that time of day was necessary (if a meal).
Be accompanied by an itemized receipt showing the method of payment.

NOTE: Meals and refreshment costs cannot be paid with Petty Cash funds nor with the departmental purchasing card.