Hospitality

At CSULB, "hospitality" is the provision of meals (eg. catered, restaurant, grocery purchase) or light refreshments (eg. beverages, hours d’oeuvres, pastries, cookies, etc.) for a bona fide CSULB business purpose. Hospitality 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.

A CSULB employee representing the University or Foundation who hosts, chairs or sponsors a meeting, conference, reception or event. The official host is not required to be present at the function.

The official host may not be a department – it must be an individual.

A person invited by an official host to attend a University meeting, conference, reception or event. Official Guests may include but are not limited to recruitment candidates, donors, visitors from other colleges and universities, members of the community and employees from another work location.

A business expense is one that has an appropriate business purpose and where a clear University-related objective is demonstrated instead of a personal or social one.

A work location is where the major portion of an employee’s working time is spent or where an employee returns during normal business hours upon completion of special assignments.

The CSULB campus and all of its Auxiliaries are considered to be the same work location.

Enterprise funds may be used to pay for or reimburse the cost of meals or light refreshments for team building or employee morale-boosting events as long as there are no restrictions on the funding source disallowing the expense.

Faculty/staff picnics or holiday gatherings serve the business purpose of team building events.

Social events such as employee birthdays, anniversaries, showers, farewell gatherings (except retirement), etc may be considered employee moral boosting occasions. Such events may include employees and spouses, significant others or special guests.

The approving authority should evaluate these events in terms of cost, benefit, availability of funds, and alternatives that would be equally effective in accomplishing desired business objectives.

The CSU Operating Fund may not be used to pay for or reimburse these types of events.

A “working lunch” is when the meal is an integral part of an administrative meeting, not a matter of personal convenience. Such a lunch may be held on or off campus and should take place over an extended period of time. The agenda for the meeting should indicate no break for lunch and work will continue during the meal.