The Do’s and Don’ts of Gift-Giving for Washington State U.S. Postal Service Workers

Do's for Gift-Giving to Washington State U.S. Postal Service Workers

It might surprise you to learn that there are limitations to getting your favorite Washington State postal worker a gift during the holiday season.

Don'ts to Avoid When Gift-Giving to Washington State U.S. Postal Service Workers

Our neighbors did a nice thing over the summer and let out some snacks for our postal carrier in Kennewick. It never occurred to me that the postal service has some strict rules when it comes to gift-giving.

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The holiday season is a perfect time to show our gratitude to our U.S. Postal Service (USPS) workers who do their best to deliver our mail and packages.

These are a few do's and don'ts I learned about giving gifts to a postal worker.

Let's start with what gifts you can give. According to USPS's gift policy, employees can accept gifts of $20 or less from a customer per occasion, such as Christmas, birthday, and other special events.

These gifts can be gift cards, and small gifts like chocolates, coffee mugs, etc. Gifts that exceed the value of $20 must be returned to the customer or donated to charity.

However, there are certain things that postal workers can't accept. One such thing is alcohol. USPS employees are prohibited from accepting alcoholic beverages as gifts.

Similarly, they can't accept cash or check gifts or any gifts that can influence or appear to be influencing USPS's business relationships.

Another thing to keep in mind is that USPS has regulations and policies that govern the gift-giving process.

Gifts may be accepted or declined based on several factors, including the regulations of the organization.

For example, if a postal worker has received a gift from a customer that he/she considers inappropriate, offensive, or embarrassing, it can be returned to the sender or donated to charity.

When it comes to gift-giving, it's the thought that counts. Therefore, if you want to show your appreciation for postal workers, cards or bringing treats like cookies or doughnuts to the post office is also a great way to express your gratitude.