The Postal Service wants employees to remember that federal ethics laws place certain employment-related restrictions on them after they leave the organization.
Former employees and retirees can work wherever they choose, but they must adhere to guidelines if interacting with USPS on behalf of their new employer.
Here are the most important post-employment restrictions to keep in mind:
• Former employees who worked on projects, contracts and other matters involving outside organizations or individuals are not allowed to communicate with the Postal Service about the same project, contract or matter on behalf of their new employer.
• For two years after leaving USPS, former employees are not allowed to communicate with the organization on behalf of a new employer regarding projects, contracts and other matters that their subordinates worked on during the former employees’ last year of postal employment.
• Before leaving, senior level employees who reached a salary threshold of $195,231 for 2025 have a one-year “cooling off” period before they can communicate with the Postal Service regarding any matter on behalf of a new employer.
• All former employees are prohibited from disclosing nonpublic, confidential or proprietary USPS information.
Former employees are free to work on behind-the-scenes postal matters on behalf of a new employer if they don’t communicate directly with the Postal Service. However, all former employees are prohibited from disclosing nonpublic, confidential or proprietary USPS information.
Employees who are leaving the Postal Service should seek guidance by emailing the USPS Ethics Office or calling it at 202-268-6346.
