EMPLOYEE MEAL PLAN
Participation Terms

Policy Statement

The University wants to encourage its employees to enjoy dining at Rams Head Dining Hall and Lenoir Dining Hall. Therefore, Carolina Dining Services is offering an EMPLOYEE MEAL PLAN that is designed to be used for the “all you can eat” lunch offered at the Rams Head Dining Hall and Top of Lenoir.

The EMPLOYEE MEAL PLAN will be administered by the UNC ONE Card Office and payment for the program must be through payroll deduction. Employees will not be able to walk in and pay cash for the program.

Description of Employee Meal Plan

1. General Information
   1. Only permanent full-time UNC employees or permanent part-time UNC employees are eligible to participate.
   2. An employee signing up for this program must commit to a 90 day period before they would be eligible to stop participating.
   3. If, after the initial three month period, an employee would like to stop participating in the program, he/she may do so with a full refund of any money left in the account by providing written notice to the UNC ONE Card Office.
      1. If an employee leaves the university within the three month period he/she is entitled to a refund of the money in the account.
      
      
2. Types of Plans
   1. Buy four “all you can eat” lunches per month at the Rams Head Dining Hall or Top of Lenoir and receive one free.
   2. Buy eight “all you can eat” lunches per month at the Rams Head Dining Hall or Top of Lenoir and receive two free.
   
   
3. Plan Payments and Free Meals
   1. Biweekly Payroll (based on 24 pay-periods):
      • The cost for four meals will be $15.50 per pay period.
      • The cost for eight meals will be $31.00 per pay period.
   2. Monthly Payroll (based on 12 pay-periods):
      • The cost for four meals per month is $31.00 per month.
      • The cost for eight meals per month is $62.00 per month.
   3. The free meal(s) will be the fifth meal eaten or the ninth and tenth meals eaten depending on which program the employee selects.
      • The free meal(s) are based on the current lunch price of $7.25 plus 7% sales tax.
        
   
   
4. Available Dining Options
1. An employee may use the “all you can eat” meals at Rams Head Dining Hall or Top of Lenoir Dining Hall during regular operating hours as scheduled by Carolina Dining Services. Limited summer hours will be available during CTOPS and summer camp meals.
2. An employee may use his/her meal plan to purchase meals for guests.
3. An employee may use the money on his/her account for breakfast and/or dinner at Rams Head Dining Hall or Top of Lenoir. When an employee uses the meals for either Breakfast or Dinner, a 20% discount will apply off of the regular casual meal rates.
4. An employee may elect to use the money on his/her account at other Carolina Dining retail locations: Mainstreet Lenoir, Alpine Bagels, McColl Café, Tar Heal Café, Common Grounds and the Rams Head Market. Purchases at these retail locations do not come with a discount.
5. Using the money on his/her account for ala carte meals or for breakfast/dinner at Rams Head or Top of Lenoir may affect the employee’s ability to get his/her free meal(s).
6. During the summer, an employee will have the opportunity to use his/her meal options during CTOPS or at Rams Head when open. Hours of operation will be posted on the CDS web site at www.dining.unc.edu.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How does the plan work?

   Answer: Money is added to your UNC ONE Card through payroll deductions. The money is like cash so you can use it at any Carolina Dining location for food only. Money on your account can not be used in the Student Store Snack Bars or vending machines.
   
   When using the plan for lunch at the new Rams Head “all you can eat dining hall” or Top of Lenoir “all you can eat dining hall” the plan provides: (1) purchase four meals per month and get the fifth meal free for Plan 1 (2) purchase eight meals per month and get the ninth and tenth meals free for Plan 2.
   
   

2. Who is eligible to participate in the UNC Employee Meal Plan?

   Answer: All permanent full-time and permanent part-time UNC employees may participate by signing up for payroll deduction. UNC Hospital Employees are not included in this program at this time.
   
   

3. Where do I sign up?

   Answer: You must go to the UNC ONE Card office on the lower level of the Daniels Building to fill out the forms.
   
   

4. How much does the Employee Meal Plan cost?

   Answer: Employees have the option to choose from two plans:
   
   Bi Weekly Deduction (based on 24 deductions per year):
        (1) Plan 1 - buy 4/get one free: $15.50 per pay period
        (2) Plan 2 - buy 8/get two free: $31.00 per pay period
   
   Monthly Deduction (based on 12 deductions per year):
        (1) $31.00 per month for Plan 1
        (2) $62.00 per month for Plan 2
   
   

5. Can I get a refund and/or cancel my plan?

   Answer: Generally yes. When you sign up for the Employee Meal Plan you are committing to 90 days’ participation. However, after the 90 days (or if you should leave the university during the 90 days), you are eligible for a full refund of the money in your account. Refunds must be submitted in writing to the UNC ONE Card Office.
   
   

6. Will the payroll deduction always be the same?

   Answer: No. The payroll deduction is based on the lunch price of $7.25 plus tax. If the lunch price increases, then the amount of the payroll deduction will increase to equal the cost of four meals (or eight meals) plus tax. This will guarantee the plan continues to work: buy four get one free; buy eight get two free. Carolina Dining Services expects the price to remain at $7.25 for lunch through the 2006-07 academic year. Meal Plan members will be informed prior to any change in deductions and have the opportunity to cancel their deduction.
   
   

7. Can I get the discount without having payroll deduction?

   Answer: No. Only those employees who sign up for the Employee Meal Plan through payroll deduction are eligible to receive the discount.
   
   

8. Can I use all five meals in one week?

   Answer: It depends. The plan is like cash, so you can spend only the money that is currently available on your ONE Card Account. The system will not let you go into arrears.
   
   However: You can make up the difference between the balance on your card and what you owe with cash or Faculty/Staff Expense.
   
   

9. Can I bring a guest with me on my plan?

   Answer: Yes, you can bring a guest as long as the balance in your account is enough to pay for both meals. The guest meal is considered one of the Meal Plan meals at the “all you can eat” locations.
   
   

10. How will I know my balance?

    Answer: Every time you use your card, the receipt will give you the balance in your account. You can also go on-line to check your balance.
    
    

11. What if I want to use my meal plan for breakfast or dinner at either Rams Head Dining Hall or Top of Lenoir? Is that possible?

    Answer: Yes, you can use the meals for breakfast or dinner. You will receive a 20% discount off the door price for that meal. Using your meals for breakfast or dinner will change the calculations for getting your free meals; however, the discount will still provide you with money towards extra meals.
    
    

12. What if I wanted to use my meals for food at other Carolina Dining locations, such as, Rams Head Market (grocery store), Mainstreet Lenoir, Alpine Bagels, Tar Heal Café, and Café McColl?

    Answer: You are able to spend your money at any Carolina Dining retail location (Rams Head Market, Mainstreet Lenoir, Alpine Bagels, Tar Heal Café, and Café McColl.) However, purchases at a retail location do not qualify for the meal discount and using money in your account in this way may affect your ability to get the free meal at the “all you can eat” dining halls.
    
    Example: The cost of lunch at Rams Head is $7.75 (tax included). You receive a 20% discount when purchasing your meals and you are charged $6.20. Five meals at $6.20 is $31 (one month deduction for Plan 1), and 10 meals at $6.20 is $62 (one month deduction for Plan 2).
    
    If you spend $6.20 or less at a Carolina Dining retail location (note that the average meal combo with drink is around $6.00 on Mainstreet) you will still be able to get five meals during that month. However, if you spend more than $6.20 at a retail location, you will not have enough money in your account to get all five (or 10) meals.
    
    

13. What happens during the summer when the money is deducted but the “all you can eat” dining halls are not open for regular hours?

    Answer: You will have the opportunity to use your meal plan money at Rams Head Dining Hall and Top of Lenoir when those facilities are open during the summer. For example: Top of Lenoir is open four days per week during CTOPS; Rams Head Dining Hall is open when “summer camps” are scheduled. Carolina Dining Services will post the hours of operation on its web site www.dining.unc.edu so everyone will know the days and times meals are being served. In addition, you can use the money on your account for ala carte purchases at the Carolina Dining Services retail locations: Rams Head Market, Mainstreet Lenoir, Alpine Bagels, Tar Heal Café, and Café McColl.
    
    Keep in mind, any money placed on your account stays on your account. Therefore, the money on your account that is not spent in the month it is deducted will carry over to the next month.
    
    

14. Who can I contact to ask more detailed questions?

    Answer: Ira Simon, UNC Director of Food and Vending Services. fbissinger@aux-services.unc.edu or call 962-1464.