Subject:
Agency Provided Meals to State Employees
As a reminder, the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) Travel Manual states if the employee’s agency or another agency provides meals without charge to the employee, that fact including the name of the purchasing agency, must be indicated on the employee’s expense report. Also, meals an agency or third party provides as part of an assignment are not reimbursable. Therefore, employees are not entitled to a per diem meal allowance on a day they consumed a meal provided to them. This policy includes meals provided to employees at unique assignments such as COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites. In such circumstances, if the employee requests a per diem meal allowance on an expense report, the employee must include documentation to support the employee declined the meal provided at the site.
In accordance with the OSC Travel Manual, the employee’s supervisor and the agency are responsible for ensuring its employees, particularly those assigned to COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites where meals are being provided, are entitled to the meal per diems if claimed.
GFO Section XIII.2 – Employee Expense Reimbursement Policies includes further information about supervisor and finance office responsibilities during the expense report review process and guidance about communicating questions to OSC.
References:
GFO Section XIII.2 – Employee Expense Reimbursement Policies