beyondthebreach wrote:Come on now - tipping the mail carrier is a tradition! Everyone on the street does it. I remember growing up and it was just expected to leave a Christmas tip.
afoolandhis$ wrote:Tipping the mailman is a great tradition. When I was a boy, my dad used to leave a bottle of rum, schnapps, or some other victual in the mailbox for him.I've presently got a pretty good mailman, but in this town the Postal Service switches the routes three weeks or so before Christmas. We once asked our mailman why we hadn't seen him for so long around Christmas, because we wanted to give him a gift, and he said the switch is made expressly for the purpose of discouraging tipping. Man, if that's true, the USPS needs to lighten up a bit.
Gifts to Postal Service EmployeesWhile many Postal Serviceâ„¢ customers have traditionally thanked their mail carrier with gifts of cash during the holiday season, this practice puts our employees at risk of violating federal law. The Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch ("Standards"), specifies that Postal Service employees may not accept gifts from outside sources (including Postal Service customers) or gifts given to them because of their official positions. Postal Service employees are also prohibited from soliciting gifts from outside sources.There are a number of exceptions and exclusions to the general gifts rule. Postal Service employees may accept the following items:Snacks and beverages that are not offered as part of a meal.Items with little intrinsic value (i.e., greeting cards, plaques, pens, coffee mugs, etc.).Perishable items (i.e., flowers, chocolates, cookies, etc.); if the items are clearly worth more than $20, employees should share them with others in the Postal Service workplace.Items with a market (retail) value of $20 or less.Gifts motivated solely because of a personal relationship.Gifts for which the employee has paid market (retail) value.Gifts paid for by the Postal Service.Postal Service employees may not accept cash - in any amount or form (bills, checks, money orders) - from an outside source.