Catering & Bar Services

What is the new outsourcing policy? Where can I find the policy?

The University of California is committed to maintaining a strong in-house workforce and supporting living wages and benefits for employees. To reinforce this commitment, the UC Board of Regents approved Regents Policy 5402 in the fall of 2019, which generally prohibits contracting for ‘Covered Services’.

‘Covered Services’ is work customarily performed by bargaining unit employees at the University including but not necessarily limited to the following services: cleaning, custodial, janitorial, or housekeeping services; food services; laundry services; grounds keeping; building maintenance (excluding skilled crafts); transportation and parking services; security services, billing and coding services, sterile processing, hospital or nursing assistant services, and medical imaging or other medical technician services.

In response to this new policy, all full-service catering funded by UC San Diego and held on the UCSD campus is required to use UC San Diego Catering or HDH Dining Delivers. If for some reason UC San Diego Catering or HDH Dining Delivers is unable to perform the services, they will provide the campus client an official ‘Catering Services Declined’ form. Upon receipt, the campus client must complete the ‘Rationale for Contracting Covered Services’ form and submit to Labor Relations for approval. Once approved, the campus client must attach the completed rationale form to the Concur request.

Read the Regents Policy 5402.

What is the process for getting an exception to policy, in other words, how can I hire an outside caterer?

You’d first go to UC San Diego Catering or HDH Dining Delivers and see if they could provide service for your event. Read more information about them.

If they could not service your event, they would provide you a form stating such. You’d then:

1. Complete the Rationale for Contracting Covered Services form. 
2. Submit to UCSD Labor Relations for review and approval.
3. If approved, obtain quote from a UCSD agreement caterer.
4. Non-UCSD affiliated caterers are required to pay the equivalent of UC wages and benefits to employees providing services to UC. Requestor is required to notify caterer of the requirement to pay the Parity Rates listed. (will be provided on the HDH Declined Services Form)
5. Submit completed Rational for Contracting Covered Services form with the Catering Request in Concur.

What is full-service catering? Does it include a caterer dropping off chafers and platters of food and then leaves, and returns later to pick up the equipment?

Full-service catering refers to any time a caterer is on-campus performing any type of services, including but not limited to, setting up, tearing down, serving food, preparing food.

If an outside caterer quotes our event for less than UC San Diego Catering, which do we go with?

Per policy, if UC San Diego can provide the service, regardless of cost, they must be used. However, there is unlikely to be significant price savings (if there are even any savings at all). Per the new policy, outside caterers are required to provide parity wages to their employees for all services performed on UCSD property. This means staff members of outside caterers must be compensated at a rate equal to, or more than, a UCSD employee with the same title including benefits.

Under the new policy, can we still use on-campus providers such as Faculty Club, Croutons, or other on-campus restaurants?

Yes, departments can still use on-campus providers at their on-campus locations. You do not need an exception to policy for using these on-campus providers.

If our event is at SIO or Birch Aquarium, can we use any caterer off of their exclusive list?

You will be required to use UC San Diego Catering. If they cannot service your event, you will need to use one of the caterers off of the venues’ exclusive list.