Accepting Gifts and Gratuities

Find information and links to policy and guidelines regarding acceptance of gifts and gratuitues by UC employees.

All employees must act with integrity and good judgment and recognize that accepting personal gifts from suppliers may cause legitimate concerns about favoritism.

Guidelines for all employees

UC Policy and Guidelines Regarding Acceptance of Gifts and Gratuities by Employees (PDF) and the federal Anti-Kickback Act of 1986 state that no officer or employee should solicit or accept any personal favor, gift, gratuity, or offer of entertainment directly or indirectly from a supplier who is doing or seeking to do business with the university.

Acceptance of modest entertainment such as a meal or refreshments in connection with attendance at professional meetings and events sponsored by industrial, technical, professional, or educational associations is not considered a gift.

If you are a buyer or requestor for your department, report to your supervisor the offer or acceptance of any gift. Your supervisor will confer with the Conflict of Interest Office, Procurement & Contracts, and Audit and Management Advisory Services to determine whether acceptance of the gift complies with university policies.

Some faculty and staff are subject to additional requirements for financial disclosure and disqualification from making decisions on matters in which they have a financial interest. Refer to UCSD PPM 200-13, Conflict of Interest Section IV.A.1.

Policy for health care personnel

Beginning on July 1, 2008, the University of California implemented the Policy on Health Care Vendor Relations (PDF), which provides systemwide standards aimed at eliminating the potential of industry influence on health care providers' decision making. Health care personnel should consider any scientific or life sciences vendor as being affected by this policy. The policy:

• Prohibits gifts from vendors made directly to individuals.
  • Examples of gifts include free meals, free samples, free text books, free promotional products such as pens and notepads, payment for attending a meeting
  • The policy permits vendors to donate money to the Regents of the University of California to support the university's mission of education, patient care, and research.
  • There is also an exception for sample donations for use in university-sanctioned free clinics.
• Prohibits uninvited health care vendor sales calls
• Prohibits on-site use of any branded promotional products
• Enhances patient confidentiality provisions
• Requires that vendor-paid preceptorships be conducted as either university courses or as continuing education courses
• Requires training on the new policy with all affected individuals

The policy applies to all UC workforce members including UCSD Health Sciences, UCSD Medical Center, and UCSD Medical Group personnel.

Information resources

• UC Policy and Guidelines Regarding Acceptance of Gifts and Gratuities by Employees (PDF)
• UC Policy on Health Care Vendor Relations (PDF)
• Health Care Vendor Relations Policy FAQ (PDF)
• Employee-Vendor Relationships
• UC Health Care Vendor Relations Policy (PPT)
• Federal Anti-Kickback Act of 1986

Questions?

• Campus:
  • Ted Johnson, Chief Procurement Officer, Business and Financial Services
  • Jennifer Ford, Director, Conflict of Interest Office
• Medical Center:
  • Heather R. Smith, Director, Compliance Program