Hospitality and entertainment applies to entertainment expenses paid from any university administered account.
Hospitality and Entertainment (H&E)
Three categories of H&E
- Internal Employee Events — e.g. team building, holiday party, retirement, work milestone, retreats
- External Business Development Events — e.g. recruitment of faculty/staff or senior leadership, meals with donors, visiting scholars, recruitment candidates
- External Academic Events — g. visiting lecturers, scholars, reviewers
Examples of ineligible expenses
Costs of social gatherings of two or more UBC employees that do not fall under the definition of H&E expenses are not reimbursable using UBC funds. Expenses incurred in respect of personal life events that are of a recurring nature are not eligible for reimbursement from UBC funds (i.e. birthdays, anniversaries, etc.). The celebration of these personal life events is not intended to be discouraged as faculty and staff can voluntarily hold events to honour one another.
Maximum expense/person permitted for H&E
- Daytime Event (up to 6:00 p.m.) — $50/person (a glass of alcohol per person max)
- Evening Event (after 6:00 p.m.) — $95/person (two glasses of alcohol per person max)
Note: The above rates are all inclusive of food, alcohol, taxes and gratuities, but not venue rental costs. As a guide, one bottle of wine would be equivalent to four glasses of wine. Third-party requirements may have more restrictive rules regarding reimbursement of H&E expenses, including alcohol costs. A detailed receipt documenting the business purpose, names of attendees, and associated organizations must always be provided as support for reimbursement of H&E expenses.
Alcohol and related expenses
A reasonable amount of alcohol when conducting university business is permissible (e.g. one glass per person). If alcohol is served at a business-related event hosted by an UBC employee, taxi chits or taxi cost of ride hailing reimbursements must be made available to UBC employee attendees. In addition, the host must review and comply with the university's Alcohol Policy (SC9) and any other applicable rules, including applicable government regulations and contractual obligations.
Meeting Catering Expenses
The frequency of food and refreshments offered at work meetings between employees during UBC business hours should be reasonable. Discretion should be exercised regarding the amount and type and restrictions associated with funds used. For example, it may be reasonable to have refreshments at meetings that last more than two hours or over a lunch period.
In case of any discrepancy with this webpage, the full expense rules will always take precedent.