Show Your Gratitude To Postal Workers This Holiday Season

Postal workers are some of the hardest workers in the entire country, ESPECIALLY around Christmastime. They deserve a little extra every day and the holidays offer a great chance for us to show our appreciation to them.

While we may want to show our local postal worker some extra gratitude this season, the United States Postal Service does have some rules when it comes to what is allowable to give to your carrier.

As it turns out, you may want to keep the gift to your carrier very small, as the USPS policy states gifts must be worth $20 or less. Further, cash and gift cards that could potentially be exchanged for cash CANNOT be given at any time.

HOW MUCH CAN I GIVE A POSTAL WORKER FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Here is the official policy, per the USPS website:

 All postal employees, including carriers, must comply with the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Exec­utive Branch.

 

Under these federal regulations, carriers are permitted to accept a gift worth $20 or less from a customer per occasion, such as Christmas. However, cash and cash equivalents, such as checks or gift cards that can be exchanged for cash, must never be accepted in any amount.

 

Furthermore, no employee may accept more than $50 worth of gifts from any one customer in any one calendar year period.

So, be careful how you show your appreciation for our hard working postal workers this holiday season!

WHAT ARE APPROPRIATE GIFTS FOR A MAIL CARRIER 

Examples of 'acceptable' gifts include:

• A greeting card
• A retail gift card valued at $20.00 or less
• Modest food items, such as a cup of coffee, donut, or an appetizer not offered as a part of a meal
• Any other non-cash item valued at $20 or less

Unacceptable gifts include: 

• Cash or cash equivalents (money order, check, Visa or American Express gift card, etc.)
• A retail gift card with a value over $20.00
• Tickets to sporting events with a value over $20.00
• Any other item worth more than $20.00