Any letter carriers here?

[Anonymous]

I have a great letter carrier. We’ve given him $20 Target gift cards in the past, but I imagine it’s annoying to have a pile of small value gift cards to a bunch of different stores. Would you rather have a $20 bill (in a holiday card with a note of appreciation, as usual)? I know there’s a $10 limit on gifts for federal employees but he didn’t return past gift cards.

[Anonymous]

My BIL is a mail carrier. He likes anything (including cookies although his family mostly eats those).

[Anonymous]

$20 has been the limit for 40 years. We give cash. My brother used to be one.

[Anonymous]

They can accept gifts up to $20, but not cash or gift cards that can be exchanged for cash: https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2012/pb22349/html/cover_025.htm#:~:text=All%20postal%20employees%2C%20including%20carriers,per%20occasion%2C%20such%20as%20Christmas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They can accept gifts up to $20, but not cash or gift cards that can be exchanged for cash: https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2012/pb22349/html/cover_025.htm#:~:text=All%20postal%20employees%2C%20including%20carriers,per%20occasion%2C%20such%20as%20Christmas.

Huh

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Huh

No cash or cash equivalent. The gift value may not exceed $20. Does that help?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Huh

No cash or cash equivalent. The gift value may not exceed $20. Does that help?

I read that as gift cards are okay as long as they can't somehow cash them out (I don't know of any such gift cards). We usually do Target or Amazon. I know our carrier often stops at CVS or the 7-11 on her route, so those would be other good options for us.

[Anonymous]

I'm a letter carrier, I don't want anyone to feel like they have to give me anything. That being said-I get my own letter carrier a gift card to Dunkin Donuts, since there is one nearby, so they can grab a coffee or whatever. We tend to like coffee : )

[Anonymous]

How do you give the card to your mail man? I have a great mail man but i have ho idea what her name is. Should i leave a card in my my mailbox addressed to ???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Huh

No cash or cash equivalent. The gift value may not exceed $20. Does that help?

I read that as gift cards are okay as long as they can't somehow cash them out (I don't know of any such gift cards). We usually do Target or Amazon. I know our carrier often stops at CVS or the 7-11 on her route, so those would be other good options for us.

A gift card is considered cash equivalent under ethics rules under the Office of Government Ethics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I'm a letter carrier, I don't want anyone to feel like they have to give me anything. That being said-I get my own letter carrier a gift card to Dunkin Donuts, since there is one nearby, so they can grab a coffee or whatever. We tend to like coffee : )

Ok, Q for you, if I give you $50 cash, will you be dismayed at the breach of ethics?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Huh

No cash or cash equivalent. The gift value may not exceed $20. Does that help?

I read that as gift cards are okay as long as they can't somehow cash them out (I don't know of any such gift cards). We usually do Target or Amazon. I know our carrier often stops at CVS or the 7-11 on her route, so those would be other good options for us.

Correction A gift card is [/b]not [b]considered cash equivalent under ethics rules under the Office of Government Ethics.

https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/News+Releases/8918020D1FDF02C6852585BA005BEC68/$FILE/LA-15-04.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I'm a letter carrier, I don't want anyone to feel like they have to give me anything. That being said-I get my own letter carrier a gift card to Dunkin Donuts, since there is one nearby, so they can grab a coffee or whatever. We tend to like coffee : )

Ok, Q for you, if I give you $50 cash, will you be dismayed at the breach of ethics?

Don't do this. You are causing trouble for the person you want to help.

Think about how large a route is. If you want your friendly neighborhood government employee to get more, convince your neighbors to give.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I'm a letter carrier, I don't want anyone to feel like they have to give me anything. That being said-I get my own letter carrier a gift card to Dunkin Donuts, since there is one nearby, so they can grab a coffee or whatever. We tend to like coffee : )

Ok, Q for you, if I give you $50 cash, will you be dismayed at the breach of ethics?

It wouldn’t be a breach of ethics if you spread it out over different occasions, according to that helpful link someone gave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you give the card to your mail man? I have a great mail man but i have ho idea what her name is. Should i leave a card in my my mailbox addressed to ???

I know his first name because we chat sometimes. At first I put his name on the card and placed it in the mailbox. But there’s a substitute letter carrier sometimes who is not careful and I could imagine him just taking the card and dumping it into the outgoing pile without noticing that there’s no address or stamp. So now I give him the card when he rings the doorbell to hand deliver packages (he’s great like that). Or I run out to hand deliver it when I notice him delivering mail, which is usually during dinner time and I see him through the window.