Protecting Privacy Act Information

If a business initiative might collect, maintain, or use any personally identifiable information, your team should contact the Privacy and Records Management Office early in the process to see if the Privacy Act might apply.

When we collect personal information from an individual, a Privacy Act Statement must be provided or displayed at the point of collection.

The main purpose is to provide informed consent. The statement informs the user about why we are collecting the information and how we will use and disclose it before they decide to give it to us.

By understanding the Privacy Act and its requirement that we properly inform individuals when we are collecting information covered under the Act, you can help the Postal Service adhere to the Privacy Act, maintain public trust, and prevent potential litigation against the Postal Service.

And that’s smart business.

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

Expert Testimony

You’ve spent a lifetime developing the skills, knowledge, and abilities that help support our postal mission. It’s no wonder that others may want to tap into that expertise. Be careful!

• As a current USPS employee, you are bound by the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, which prohibit serving as an expert witness for a third party in any proceedings in which the United States is a party or in which the United States has an interest in the matter.

Refusing to leverage your expertise in a manner contrary to the interests of the Postal Service or the United States will keep you out of legal trouble and protect your hard-earned reputation.

And that’s smart business.

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