Protect the Sanctity of the Mail

• Every piece of mail is paid for by a customer who expects it will reach its destination safely and quickly.
• Mail that doesn’t reach its destination results in a loss of business and a reduction in future mail volume.

Preventing mail loss and destruction keeps our customers coming back.

And that’s smart business.

Outside Pay for Postal Duties

• A criminal law prohibits a Postal Service employee from receiving compensation from an outside source for doing his or her postal job.
• For example, if your job is to give presentations about the Postal Service’s scanning capabilities, you may not accept compensation from a customer for making a presentation about the Postal Service’s scanning capabilities. The Postal Service is already paying you for that.

When you decline payment from an outside source for performing your postal job duties, you maintain the Postal Service’s reputation and avoid criminal liability.

That’s smart business for the Postal Service and for you.

Contact the Ethics Office (ethics.help@usps.gov) for guidance.