Thursday • December31

Smart Business Moment

Gift of Travel from a Prospective Employer

Looking for a new job? Avoid this pitfall.

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Gift of Travel from a Prospective Employer

Looking for a new job? Avoid this pitfall.

You may accept an offer of meals, lodging, transportation, and other benefits customarily provided by a prospective employer.
But if the prospective employer has interests that could be affected by performance or nonperformance of the employee’s duties, you need to get clearance from the Ethics Office before taking any action.

Seeking employment with a company that you work with in your postal capacity could result in criminal liability. By contacting the Ethics Office prior to seeking employment, you not only preserve the Postal Service’s reputation for fairness and honesty, but you also keep yourself on the right side of the law.

And that’s always smart business.

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

Alternate business moment

Personal Hospitality

It's OK to Invite the Boss

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Personal Hospitality

It’s OK to Invite the Boss

Postal employees sometimes throw parties for friends and acquaintances, and sometimes they want to invite coworkers who might not be at the same pay level. If it’s an occasional thing, it’s OK.
Go ahead and invite your manager to your house for dinner over the holidays or a backyard cookout. And if your manager extends such an invitation to you, it’s OK to bring a reasonably priced gift in connection with hospitality, such as a bottle of wine.

Gifts to a superior or higher-paid employee can result in favoritism allegations and grievances — seeking guidance on gifts between employees can help you avoid any issues.

And that’s smart business.

Contact the Ethics Office (ethics.help@usps.gov) for guidance on gifts between employees.

Smart Safety Moment

Impaired driving

Make it none for the road.

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Impaired driving

Make it none for the road.

Everyday around 37 people die in crashes that involve a driver impaired by alcohol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Add drivers impaired by prescription medicines and other drugs and that number goes up significantly.

While drunk driving has declined by about one-third since 2007, the number of drivers under the influence if drugs has increased. Between 2013 and 2014, 22 percent of drivers tested positive for a drug that would cause impairment, according to a roadside survey conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Don’t drive impaired.

And that’s smart safety!

For additional information or guidance, contact your safety office

Alternate safety moment

Industrial hygiene

Call it hazard control.

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Industrial hygiene

Call it hazard control.

The goal of industrial hygiene is to anticipate, recognize, evaluate and control workplace conditions that could cause injury, illness, impaired health or significant discomfort in workers.
Industrial hygienists determine the extent of employee exposure to hazards (chemical, physical, ergonomic or biological) and decide what’s needed to control these hazards.

Industrial hygiene is an essential part of any successful workplace safety program.

And that’s smart safety!

For additional information or guidance, contact your safety office.

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