Nepotism and Spouses

• Postal policy provides that a Postal Service employee cannot directly report to his or her spouse.
• There must be at least one level of supervision between spouses at all times.
• This is because a criminal law prohibits a Postal Service employee from participating in a particular matter that would affect the financial interests of his or her spouse.

Ensuring that a spouse does not directly report to his or her spouse maintains a work environment free from favoritism allegations and helps the supervisory spouse avoid criminal liability.

And that’s smart business.

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

Cash Gifts

• A Postal Service employee cannot accept cash, checks, money orders, or credit card gift cards from an outside source, such as a Postal Service customer, a company doing business with the Postal Service, or a company seeking to do business with the Postal Service.
• Never ever accept cash or cash equivalents as a gift from a customer or supplier.

Our customers, suppliers, and the public should know that they will be treated fairly and professionally no matter what. Accepting gifts – especially cash or cash equivalents – 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 regulations addressing gifts.