Occidental Employee Relief Fund

The Occidental Employee Relief Fund is designed to provide short-term assistance to employees experiencing severe financial need due to unexpected and unavoidable emergencies.  You must be an active full-time U.S. Dollar employee at Occidental at the time of the event to be eligible to apply. Eligible applicants may receive a maximum of one grant per calendar year with a maximum of three grants per lifetime.

The Occidental Employee Relief Fund is administered by the Tulsa Community Foundation, an organization specializing in assisting corporations in creating emergency assistance and disaster relief funds for employees. Applications are confidential and identifying details are never shared with Occidental.

Employee Relief Program Guidelines

Eligible to Apply: All full-time Occidental employees are eligible to apply for assistance. Eligible applicants may receive a maximum of one grant per calendar year with a maximum of three grants per lifetime.

In the event of an unexpected and unavoidable emergency that causes a severe financial hardship, full-time Occidental employees may apply for assistance within the following categories and qualifications (Please remember that not all emergencies will warrant the maximum assistance):

• Home Catastrophe/Natural Disaster – Amount of Grant: Up to $5,000
  Assistance after a natural or localized disaster has destroyed the employee’s personal residence, rendered it unlivable or it is otherwise in need of costly repairs, in excess of insurance, after the disaster (hurricane, fire, flood, tornado, mudslide, etc.).
• Funeral or Emergency Travel for Immediate Family – Amount of Grant: Up to $2,000
  Assistance for those who have incurred the loss of an immediate family member*, if the employee is financially responsible for funeral arrangements and no other resources exist. For employees who must travel to visit or care for a terminally ill immediate family member or escort a critically ill immediate family member to an out-of-state medical facility.
• Medical Emergency (emergency hospitalization, injury, etc.) – Amount of Grant: Up to $2,500
  For employees who have encountered financial hardships due to medical emergencies in the household  (injury, hospitalization, loss of income during medical emergency, etc.).
• Personal Emergency (theft, partner laid off, acts of violence) – Amount of Grant: Up to $2,000
  For employees who have encountered financial hardships for unexpected, unavoidable reasons beyond their control (spouse’s layoff, unexpected loss of income, non-routine vehicle or home repair that restricts ability of applicant to care for self and household, etc.).

Documentation will be requested from each applicant.
Additional information and examples for the four relief program grant categories listed above can be found by clicking here. 

*Immediate Family Defined: Spouse; brother / sister; children; step-children; grandchildren; parents; step-parents; grandparents; mother / father-in-law; son / daughter-in-law; domestic partner (as defined for health benefits only).

Note: To comply with IRS conditions, program guidelines restrict assistance to employees experiencing severe financial need due to specific unexpected, unavoidable emergencies which can be documented. While all emergencies and financial hardships are unfortunate, incidents outside of program guidelines cannot be approved.

Employees should use available resources such as personal savings, assistance from family members, etc. before applying for assistance.  If ineligible, TCF can refer applicants to other resources in their community.

Upon approval, grant recipients are typically mailed a check made payable to the vendor requesting payment (i.e. landlord, utility company, contractor, etc.). We understand that each situation is unique so please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.

For additional information, please contact emergency@tulsacf.org.
Phone: 918-591-2427
Fax: 918-856-3537