UCLA Student Finance Solutions (SFS) administers the Employee Recognition and Reward Program (ERRP), in which non-cash awards in the form of either gift cards, e-codes, or BruinCard Easy Pay deposits are distributed for the purchase of goods (not services). The Student Accounts Office (SAO) assists in coordinating disbursements. Please review the University and IRS Regulations for employee recognition requests and expand the instructions for submitting a request based on the applicable disbursement type.
| -Requesting departments must be in compliance with BUS-49 (Policy for Cash and Cash Equivalence Received), UCLA Policy 361 (Cash Handling and Security), UC G-41 (Employee Non-Cash Awards), and UCLA Safe Requirements (if storing gift cards). |
| -University of California Policy G-41 states non-cash awards may not exceed $75.00 per award, per employee, with a maximum of three awards per employee per calendar year. For retirement award restrictions, please refer to Policy G-41. It is the awarding department and employee’s responsibility to maintain a record of award amounts and their recipients in order to ensure the maximum is not exceeded. In the event an employee receives recognition exceeding these limits, it must be reported on their W-2 (please consult with the employee’s HR for reporting procedures). |
| -For awards that do not qualify as employee recognition, including disbursement requests for non-employees, please review disbursement request types and follow the appropriate instructions. |
| -Departments are responsible for Mitigating Risk of Fraud for cash and cash equivalents (gift cards and e-codes). SFS cannot assume any liability for reimbursing compromised cash, physical cards, or e-Codes, which should be immediately reported to UCPD. |
Resource Table
| Resource | Function |
|---|---|
| Gift Card Catalog |
Review prior to initiating your request in order to determine the gift card denominations, amounts, and associated fees. Note: Only Target/Amazon gift card and e-codes are available for employee recognition requests. The e-codes may be delivered through Tremendous, but the recipient will not be able to change the gift card merchant. |
| Cashiering Services and Supplies Guide | Review prior to initiating your request to determine armored courier (Brink's) fees for gift card delivery, if applicable. |
| Navigating the Employee Recognition Portal | A step-by-step guide to navigating the Employee Recognition Portal on MyUCLA |
| Gift Card Portal Status Map | A high-level, end-to-end visual guide for the Employee Recognition Portal, based on request status |
| Employee Recognition Portal on MyUCLA |
Log into MyUCLA with a UCLA Logon ID and Password. Click on the Staff tab. Select Business and Finance Manager. Select Employee Recognition from the Disbursement Request menu. Note: User must be logged into UCLA Network/VPN to access portal. Internet Explorer is NOT a supported browser for MyUCLA. |
| MyUCLA Message Center | Alert SAO of an Approved portal request on the MyUCLA Message Center |
Instructions
1. Requestor must initiate the request using the Employee Recognition Portal on MyUCLA.
- Log into MyUCLA with a UCLA Logon ID and Password. Click on the Staff tab. Select Business and Finance Manager. Select Employee Recognition from the Disbursement Request menu. Ensure you are connected to a UCLA Network/VPN to access the portal.
- You will need to provide the department, gift card / e-code, accounting, and Department Head details and information in order to submit your request. Once submitted, the portal status will update to Submitted.
2. Department Head reviews the request on the Employee Recognition Portal.
- Once the request is submitted on portal, the Department Head must review/approve the request. The Department Head will receive an automated email with instructions to approve or reject the request via the Employee Recognition portal on MyUCLA.
- If the Department Head approves, the Requestor will receive an automated email with instructions on the next steps. The portal status will update to Approved.
- If the Department Head rejects, the Requestor will receive an an automated email with the Department Head’s rejection reason. The portal status will update to Rejected. The Requestor will have the option to edit the request and resubmit to the Department Head for approval.
3. Requestor alerts SAO of Approved portal request via the MyUCLA Message Center.
- When the portal request status is Approved, the Requestor must submit a case to SAO on the MyUCLA Message Center and include:
-The employee recognition portal request number in the subject line of the Message Center case
-An excel file of recipient names, UIDS, and amounts received attached to the Message Center case
4. SAO reviews the request and coordinates disbursement through the Message Center.
- If SAO approves the disbursement request, SAO will update the Message Center case to begin disbursement coordination. The portal status will update to Completed. Delivery for preferred gift cards will be made within ten (10) business days, from the time the Approved Message Center Case is submitted to SAO, and will only be released to the active, Authorized Personnel identified on the portal. Non-preferred gift card delivery may take up to four (4) weeks, depending on the vendor's processing and delivery schedule. Once disbursement is coordinated, the portal status will update to Disbursed.
- If SAO rejects the disbursement request, the Student Accounts Office (SAO) will update the Message Center case and the the portal status will update to SAORejected. The Requestor will no longer be able to edit the portal request and must initiate a new portal request if needed.
BruinCard payments to employees, considered "non-cash awards," are managed separately by the BruinCard office. Step-by-step instructions, associated policies, and more can be found on the BruinCard Recharge Order Request Web Page.
