Appearance of Government Sanction

• A Postal Service employee is prohibited from using his postal title or any authority associated with his public office in a manner that could reasonably be construed to imply the Postal Service sanctions or endorses his personal activities.
• For example, a Postal Service employee may not appear in uniform or affix the Postal Service’s logo to a sign while participating in a rally or protest.
• Using your postal title or authority in connection with personal activities undermines the Postal Service’s brand and may alienate customers.

Keeping your personal activities personal is smart business.

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

Please the Court

You might think there’s no harm in helping a person or another organization deal with the federal government. But for postal employees, it can be a crime to represent other people or entities when the federal government is involved. 18 U.S.C. § 205.

• Postal employees are prohibited from representing other persons or non-federal organizations: 1) in claims against any part of the United States government, and 2) before the federal government in any particular matter in which the federal government has an interest.

Not representing others when the federal government is involved can save you from committing a crime and can save the Postal Service’s reputation. And that’s smart business.

Contact the Ethics Office — ethics.help@usps.gov — with any questions.