- Gifts from one employee (including faculty) to another are not allowable. (This includes Admin Day gifts and flowers). Employee morale “gifts” from the Department/Division are allowable up to $100).
- Gift cards are an unallowable expense at Washington University School of Medicine. For unforeseen circumstances, prior approval from the Dean’s Finance Office is required.
Employee Morale
One Holiday event and two other informal events are allowable.
- These do not include school-wide Employee Appreciation Day or the University Length of Service Award Program.
- The total amount of the one Holiday event, including rentals, food, gratuities, decorations and entertainment, should not exceed $125 per person without prior approval from the Dean. Please use the Social Expense Worksheet for functions with multiple vendors or payments.
- These functions may be held at the department, office or division. If a function is held at one level, expenditures for a similar function at another level for the same group of employees will not be reimbursed, so please clearly state the departmental practice.
- Gifts at employee morale events should not exceed $100 per person and can be given to those who are unable to attend
- Inclusion of non-employees, such as spouses, residents, fellows, students, and employees of affiliated institutions is allowable.
Farewell/retirement
Farewell/Retirement receptions costing up to $100 per person may be held for employees leaving the University with three or more years of service or for doctoral and postdoctoral trainees who have completed their training. Receptions for employees with less than 3 years of service should be limited to less than $10/per person for refreshment costs.
Following are the gift guidelines for individuals leaving the University:
- Staff members with 3-10 years of service: $100
- Staff members with more than 10 years of service: $250
- Director level staff: Up to $500
- Faculty: Up to $500
Tangible gifts should be reported as taxable by the University. Please provide the name of the employee and the number of years the employee has worked for the School of Medicine, including the department name, title or job function. A cash equivalent gift is not allowable unless using payroll services and this is taxable income to the employee regardless of amount or purpose.
The Gift, Prize or Award Form must be completed for reporting purposes.
Floral
Floral purchases (not to exceed $100 including tax and delivery) are allowable for:
- An employee who is hospitalized or home recovering from a serious illness
- Celebrate births of children of the employee
- Marriage of the employee
- Death in the employee’s immediate family. “Immediate family” is defined in the University’s Funeral Leave Policy.
- Memorial gifts in lieu of flowers
This policy may be applied to a department’s non-employee group, such as clinical fellows, or post-docs., but this must be clearly stated on the request for reimbursement.
Non-allowable floral purchases include:
- Flowers to faculty or staff members in another department
- Expressions of thanks for work done by an employee.
Gifts are approved for non-employees who provide services to the University without compensation. Please provide the name of the recipient and their relationship to the University including type of service rendered. Gifts will be reviewed for reasonableness and most will be reported as taxable by the University.