Perishable Gifts

• If you receive a perishable gift from a postal customer or supplier valued at more than $20.00, you have more choices than just returning it or paying for it.
• You may also donate it to an appropriate charity, share it with the office, or destroy it.
• A perishable gift is an item that would perish in the process of returning it to the sender.
• Flowers or fresh fruit are perishable. Cookies or chocolate (even there’s fruit in it) are not.

Knowing the difference is smart business.

Contact the Ethics Office (ethics.help@usps.gov) if you need more guidance.

$20 Gift Exception

• The ethics regulations generally prohibit Postal Service employees from accepting gifts from customers, suppliers or other outside sources.
• One of the exceptions to the rule prohibiting gifts from outside sources allows a Postal Service employee to accept a non-cash gift valued at $20.00 or less.
• Remember that the total value of gifts from the same source may not exceed $50.00 in a calendar year.

Our customers, suppliers, and the public should know that they will be treated fairly and professionally no matter what. Accepting gifts leaves the opposite impression.

Declining inappropriate gifts is not only the law, it’s smart business.

Contact the Ethics Office (ethics.help@usps.gov) for more information about the ethics rules on gifts from outside sources.