Policy
Dining Services recognizes the benefit of offering discounts to employees and acknowledges the necessity of implementing proper controls to ensure employee discounts are used within reason.
Discounts will only be given as authorized in this policy to current employees. Case-by-case exceptions to this policy must be pre-approved by the Managing Director.
Procedures
1. General Discount Procedures
a. Employees should never ring in their own order in an employee-facing program (POS or Eatec).
b. Dining Service employee discounts are non-transferable and may not be combined with any other benefit or recognition.
c. Items purchased with an employee discount are not for resale or personal business endeavors.
d. The management of the area offering the discount should ensure orders are not fulfilled at a loss to Dining Services. The management has the right to adjust the final discounted price to account for product costs and labor.
e. The use of employee discounts will be reviewed quarterly by the controller. If misuse or abuse of this program occurs, the managing director reserves the right to revoke an employee’s privilege to a discount.
2. Full-Time Employee Discounts
The following discounts are approved for current, full-time employees of Dining Services.
a. Dining Services Discount. 10% off retail price, with the exception of certain locations. Full-time employees will receive a 10% discount at dining locations when paying with personal Cougar Cash. This discount applies at all dining locations that accept Cougar Cash—including the Creamery, Cougareat, and other dining locations (excluding Legends Grille). This includes mobile ordering and self-checkout kiosks at those locations.
b. Food To-Go Discount. 25% off retail price, with the exception of certain products. This benefit can be used for personal needs as long as it is not intended for resale or personal business endeavors. To receive this discount, the full-time employee should place an order using their personal Cougar Cash.
c. Catering Event Discount. 25% off retail price, with the exception of certain products and services, once per calendar year. To receive this discount, the full-time employee should place an order through the Catering Sales Office, which will maintain a record of discount issuance. The Skyroom may be reserved, subject to availability. A deposit of $100 will be required at the time of booking to secure the reservation, which will apply to the final bill at the end of the event. However, the deposit will not be returned if the reservation is canceled due to the potential loss of business.
d. Dining Distribution Discount. Cost + 10%. Employees must purchase items in the quantity received, as ordering in partial quantities would require breaking down the product into smaller quantities. To receive this discount, the full-time employee should contact the manager of Dining Distribution, Brent Swasey.
e. Campus Floral Discount. 10% off retail price. To receive this discount, the full-time employee should contact the manager of Campus Floral, Corrine Smith.
3. Part-Time Employee Discounts
Part-time employee discounts in an area are authorized if both the below items are met:
- There must be written approval by the managing director prior to issuance.
- The department issuing the discount maintains a record of all discounts provided. These records should be reported regularly to the controller.
Additional Information
Revision History
- 4/1/2026 - Policy updated to reflect discounts linked to a full-time employee's purchases using Cougar Cash.
- 1/16/2025 - Policy updated with the following changes:
- Clarification that the discount is only for current employees (not former employees or retirees).
- Addition of one new full-time employee discount (Catering Event Discount, 25% off, once per calendar year).
- Removal of one full-time employee discount (Food To-Go Event Discount, 50% off, twice per calendar year).
- 11/8/2023 - New policy approved by the Dining Executive Team. This replaces section 9.11 of the 2021 Employee Handbook.