The Postal Service is reminding employees that federal ethics regulations govern whether they can accept gifts from vendors.
If an item or service costs the vendor money or if the public would have to pay for it, then it is considered a gift because it has a monetary value.
In general, USPS employees are prohibited from accepting gifts from vendors, customers or suppliers. But an employee can accept a noncash gift valued at $20 or less if the total value of gifts received from that vendor does not exceed $50 in a calendar year.
If a gift exceeds $20 in value, the employee can pay the fair market value for it or return it to the vendor. The USPS Ethics Office can provide a template for writing a gift-return letter.
Employees cannot accept cash or a cash equivalent from a vendor — such as a transaction through CashApp, Zelle or Venmo, or a gift card issued by Visa, Mastercard or American Express.
Employees can never solicit a gift from a vendor, supplier or customer.
If a vendor wants to buy lunch for an entire Postal Service office or team, the offer must be declined because accepting it might make other vendors think they must make similar offers to facilitate USPS business.
If a vendor offers free attendance at a conference, a USPS employee should submit a request form to the Ethics Office for approval.
Employees with questions can email the ethics team or call 202-268-6346. The Ethics Blue Page contains additional information.
