Policy & Procedure Review
Policy & Procedure Number: 3-50-240
CWUR (Procedure) CWUR 3-50-240 Meal Reimbursement
New
Revision
Title: Meal Reimbursement
Summary: Change language in first paragraph to clarify that an employee must be in travel status for entire work
period plus 3 hours to be reimbursed for meals on one-day travel.
CWUR 3-0
CWUR 3-50 Business and Financial Affairs
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CWUR 3-50-240 Meal Reimbursement
The following two criteria must be met to receive meal allowance reimbursement:
1.
Three hour rule – A traveler may be reimbursed for meal expenses only after the traveler is in travel
status for the traveler’s entire regularly scheduled working hours plus an additional three hours, for any one
day.three hours beyond the traveler's regularly scheduled working hours for any one day.
2.
In travel status during the entire meal period – Travelers must be in travel status during the entire
university determined meal period(s), as defined below, in order to qualify to collect meal payments for meals.
The normal work hours for CWU employees is considered to be 8 AM to 5 PM. The employee's designated
work hours should be noted on the travel expense report if other than the normal work hours. The threehour rule still applies and meals will be reimbursed only when an employee is in travel status during the entire
meal period.
The university designated meal periods are as follows:
•
Breakfast (7 to 8am)
•
Lunch (12 to 1pm)
•
Dinner (6 to 7pm)
Meal allowance breakdown can be found at the following link: CWU meal per diems
High cost locations for lodging allowance do not necessarily follow entitlement of high cost areas meal allowance.
Information on high cost locations in the continental USA is contained in schedule "B" at the following link:
•
Federal OFM per diem rates
•
Washington State per diem rates - pre October 1, 2012
Washington State per diem rates - post October 1, 2012
•
Meals included in the registration fees paid by the university are to be deducted from the allowance claimed for
reimbursement. Continental breakfast and meals provided by airlines are not to be deducted and full
reimbursement is allowed.
Foreign Travel
Foreign meal per diems do not always fall within the meal rates listed above. When it becomes necessary to
determine the amount to reimburse for individual meals, use the following calculations rounded to the nearest
dollar.
•
•
•
1. The breakfast portion is 25% of the set daily meals entitlement.
2. The lunch portion is 30% of the set daily meals entitlement.
3. The dinner portion is 45% of the set daily meals entitlement.
Foreign per diems rates can be found at the following link: foreign per diem rates.
[10/08/2012;10/19/2011;12/18/2006;10/26/2016 Responsibility: BFA; Authority: VP BFA; Reviewed/Endorsed by:
Cabinet/PAC; Review/ Effective Date: 04/17/2013; Approved by: James L. Gaudino, President]
CWUR 3-0
CWUR 3-50 Business and Financial Affairs
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