cocktail authorization request form

At some point your small company will become large enough that you require some documented guidance on acceptable travel and entertainment expenses.  Fortunately, Business Ready has created a Travel Guidance template to get you started so that you can keep everyone on the same page and manage costs accordingly.

In the old days, along with travel guidance, you also had a travel authorization request form (in advance of travel) and a travel expense form (to document actual receipts after travel had occurred).  I just recently stumbled on a gem from ten years ago that was in response to my introduction of all three and I thought I would share:

From: The Management

To: The Workers

Subject: Cocktail Authorization Request (C.A.R.) Form

All,

Attached please find the Cocktail Authorization Request Form (C.A.R.) which is to be used prior to all booze-fests.  Drinking must be booked at least seven days prior to the party date.  Less than seven days, along with justification and a large bribe, requires special approval by management.

Please distribute this form to your teams for implementation no later than [date]. As you know, drinking is the largest expense, behind drug usage, and by moving to one party planner, in the near future, we will be able to manage these expenses down to the last drop.  Implementation of the C.A.R. will give us a head start in planning for cirrhosis in our new medical insurance package.

The C.A.R.s can be left with your waiter for approval or via fax to [management phone number].  I will only approve the ones from my direct reports; you in turn have to approve the ones for your staff - if you can find them.  Until the proper system is established, as far as issuing C.A.R. numbers, mixing drinks and determining bail amounts, please keep copies of all the C.A.R.s you approve.

Thank you for your cooperation.

And, even better, recently someone forwarded the original C.A.R. (yes, they took the time to make the above email really official) with the request that we make it available on the Business Ready site.  So, in honor of all Seagate Software employees circa 1999 we have just uploaded the performance ready template > cocktail authorization request form - yours for FREE.  It’s a gift from the old Seagate Software OEM team.

Cheers!