Corporate hospitality means hospitality of any kind provided by MI BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS LTD or its staff to non-Company employees in connection with the lawful business of MI BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS LTD. All corporate hospitality expenses which are likely to be above the sum of £(amount) must be approved in advance by a Director of MI BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS LTD. In addition, the employee’s manager must agree in advance to the level of any corporate hospitality expenses, before the commitments are made, taking into account what is reasonable and proportionate in all the circumstances.
When claiming back expenses for corporate hospitality, the expense claim form must include details of the reason why the expenditure was necessary, the names of the persons being entertained, the companies they represent and a breakdown of the expenditure incurred.
All corporate hospitality expenditure will be closely monitored by MI BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS LTD.
Corporate hospitality may also be received by an employee from another company, for example if the employee is invited to a client’s event or project in connection with their employment by MI BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS LTD. Whilst MI BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS LTD does not wish to prohibit attendance at genuine corporate hospitality events, it does not believe that it is appropriate for employees to attend lavish, extraordinary or excessive corporate hospitality events held by customers, clients, suppliers, contractors or held by any other person or organisation with which MI BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS LTD has, or might have, business connections. This is because it is important to ensure that no employee acts in any way that is inconsistent with the integrity of the business by attending lavish, extraordinary or excessive corporate hospitality events in circumstances where it could influence, or be seen to influence, that employee’s business decisions or actions.
All employees are under an obligation to report a corporate hospitality invitation that they would wish to attend, including the nature of the event and the identity of the person or organisation offering the hospitality, to their manager as soon as the invitation is received. Failure to report the invitation, and then to attend the event without permission, constitutes a disciplinary offence and will be dealt with in accordance with MI BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS LTD’s disciplinary procedure. Depending on the gravity of the offence, it may be treated as gross misconduct and could render the employee liable to summary dismissal.
If MI BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS LTD determines that the corporate hospitality is lavish, extraordinary or excessive, the employee will be required to send the person or organisation offering the hospitality a polite letter thanking them for their kind invitation but declining it and explaining that it is MI BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS LTD’s policy that employees should limit their participation in corporate hospitality.
In cases where MI BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS LTD determines that the hospitality is genuine, proportionate and reasonable, the employee may, at their manager’s discretion, be permitted to attend the event (subject to any agreement relating to time off work where the event is taking place during normal working hours).