Thursday • July24

Smart Business Moment

Free Attendance at Conferences

Free or not to be, that's the question

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Free Attendance at Conferences

Free or not to be, that’s the question

If you’re offered free attendance at a non-postal or non-federal government conference, it’s considered a gift from an outside source. You could still attend, however, if the Postal Service invokes its gift acceptance authority.
Under this rule, you can attend the event if you’re going in your official capacity and your Vice President says it’s “necessary or convenient in the transaction of postal business.” Your VP must email a statement to the Ethics Office detailing the reasons. The Ethics Office will make the final decision.

By attending a conference free of charge that will enhance your postal work and was approved by a VP, your actions don’t violate the ethics rules. The Postal Service benefits from the knowledge you gain at the conference.

And that’s smart business.

Contact the Ethics Office (ethics.help@usps.gov) for guidance on attending a conference for free.

Alternate business moment

Prior Approval for Supplemental Employment

Looking for a second job?

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2025ET2-155priorapprovalforsupplementalemployment

Prior Approval for Supplemental Employment

Looking for a second job?

A Postal Service employee must obtain prior approval from the Ethics Office before engaging in certain types of outside employment or business activities.

The jobs that require prior approval are those with a company with whom the employee has official postal dealings, a company whose interests are substantially dependent upon postal rates, fees or classification, or a company that is substantially dependent on providing goods or services to the Postal Service.

Avoiding outside employment that creates a conflict of interest preserves the Postal Service’s reputation for fairness and honesty.

And that’s smart business.

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

Smart Safety Moment

Flash flooding

Turn around, don’t drown.

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2025ssm-flashflooding

Flash flooding

Turn around, don’t drown.

Flash floods are the No. 1 cause of weather-related deaths. Water can rise fast as a result of heavy rains, melting snow or breaks in dams or levees. It can happen anywhere at any time with little or no warning.

If there’s a chance of flash flooding, move to higher ground immediately. Don’t walk or drive through flood waters — 6 inches of moving water can knock you down and 2 feet of water can sweep your vehicle away.

Knowing what to do and acting quickly could save your life during a flash flood.

And that’s smart safety!

For additional information or guidance, contact your safety office.

Alternate safety moment

Electrical Work

It’s a powerful plan.

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2025ssm-electricalwork

Electrical Work

It’s a powerful plan.

An electrical work plan (EWP) provides guidelines for safely working around electrical hazards and preventing injuries and incidents. It helps guard against dangers such as electric shock and arc flash. EWP policies comply with all electrical safety regulations established by OSHA. Once implemented, each EWP must be evaluated annually.

Compliance with a plan keeps employees safe and reduces potential OSHA fines. Additional EWP information is available in Management Instruction EL-810-2013-5, Electrical Work Plan, and on the Workplace Safety page on MyHR.

And that’s smart safety!

For additional information or guidance, contact your safety office.

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