posted on December 8, 2000 04:11:00 PM new
Any ideas? Anyone? I haven't tried it yet but I thought it was a really good idea. Nothing better then a happy mailperson! Don't want em going postal!
posted on December 8, 2000 04:33:43 PM new
I ALWAYS get my mail lady a gift, last year I found a really cute mailman ornament for her, this year I think it's bath salts and candles After all she goes the extra mile for me
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\"Your Online Boutique for Sexy & Intimate Fashions\"
posted on December 8, 2000 04:34:13 PM new
I give my mailman gift certificates to Blockbuster video!! He really enjoys it, and I know I get better service because of it!!
posted on December 8, 2000 04:39:43 PM new
We gave a tip just before Thanksgiving because we use Stamps.com and the mail lady picks up all the boxes each day. She then left us a Thanksgiving card from her personally which I thought was extremely gracious.
posted on December 8, 2000 04:59:44 PM new
I live in a small town and I have 3 of the best post office guys anywhere. I bought them each a box of chocolates, disguised it as one of my e-bay boxes, and took it to the PO last week. I lightly taped a card on the front addressed to them. I also had several other packages to mail, and the PO guy was going through them as usual--friendly comments about each one, etc. When he got to the box addressed to himself, he didn't notice the address, but did notice that the card wasn't taped on tight. He hauled out his mega roll and taped that sucker down tight! I got a good laugh though when he realized where it was going--and how hard it was going to be for him to now get the card off! They're nice guys who have courteously helped me a lot over the past couple of years and a box of choclates was small thanks.
posted on December 8, 2000 05:09:01 PM new
Some years ago, our mailman told us he wasn't allowed to accept gifts any more, that it was against postal regulations. We used to give him a cash gift. Does anyone know any more about this? Do the regulations only have to do with cash, or are all gifts technically forbidden? The counter people at the post office where I drop off my metered mail are great! I'm not too fond of my current home deliveryperson, though.
posted on December 8, 2000 05:55:50 PM new
Cash inside a Christmas card is always nice Employees at my Post Office bend over backwards to be of service all year long, and are just super But then I'm in Canada, does that count? LOL!
posted on December 8, 2000 07:02:35 PM new
My husband delivers mail on a rural route (when he is not doing & packing eBay packages). I can tell you that it is very nice & thoughtful to be nice to your mailman. While candy is nice, last year he brought home at least 7 boxes of candy and tons of homemade candy, the gifts he liked the best are: Cash, Gift Certificates - example Target, Restaurant, Home Depot, Movie Theatres, Blockbuster Video, Starbucks.
Hope this helps keep the mailmen happy!
posted on December 8, 2000 07:07:09 PM new
I read value could not be more than $25. I gave $40 and plan to give another $40 after Christmas if volume is heavy enough (not looking that way at the moment).
However, this gal is picking up 30-50 parcels a week and has been all year.
posted on December 8, 2000 11:15:24 PM new
I read this topic with great interest as my carrier and the counter clerks have been so great to me that I wanted to do something for them this year. I tried the "Ask Jeeves" route as mentioned above and came up with nothing. I then did 6 varied searches on Altavista and finally came up with a definitive answer. It comes from the federal "Office of Government Ethics". Now there's an oxymoron if there ever was one. The link to this location is:
The full text is located below but here's the short version. Food gifts are ok. Cold hard cash is a no-no. An item worth $20 maximum per occassion is allowable with a $50 per year cap. Since cash is considered to be not a good idea, I suppose the gift certificate route would pass scrutiny. I hope this helps you all out.
This is in response to your letter dated December 18, 1996, that this
Office received on December 24, asking whether there is a Federal
regulation that prohibits Government employees from accepting monetary
gifts. Specifically, you wanted to know if you could give your letter
carrier a yearly Christmas gift of $10 in cash. The short answer to your
question is that your letter carrier would be prohibited by the Standards
of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch (Standards of
Conduct) from accepting a $10 gift of cash.
As a general matter, employees in the executive branch are prohibited from
soliciting or accepting a gift from a prohibited source or a gift given
because of an employee's official position. Employees in the United States
Postal Service (USPS) are subject to the Standards of Conduct, which are
found at part 2635 in title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations. We note
that under the Standards of Conduct, the definition of the term "gift" is
defined very broadly and that almost anything conferred upon an employee
having monetary value could be a gift. In the case at hand, your letter
carrier is prohibited from accepting a gift of money unless the gift is
excluded from the definition of the term "gift" or the item falls within
one of the gift exceptions provided for in the Standards of Conduct.
Certain items and things of value have been excluded from the definition of
the term "gift" as used in the Standards of Conduct. These items can be
accepted by executive branch employees without regard to the gift
prohibition. Examples of excluded items include: soft drinks, coffee,
donuts, and other modest items of food and refreshments when not offered as
part of a meal. Under this exclusion, for example, an employee could accept
a cup of coffee and a muffin or any other modest item of food or
refreshment without violating the Standards of Conduct. However, your
proposed yearly gift of $10 in cash does not fall within any of the gift
exclusions provided for in the Standards of Conduct.
Additionally, the Standards of Conduct contain certain exceptions to the
gift rule that would permit employees to accept gifts that would not
otherwise be allowed. The most relevant exception in your case is the
exception for certain unsolicited gifts with a value of $20 or less per
occasion (but not cash gifts and not gifts that add up to over $50 in value
in any year from any single source.) This exception would permit an
employee to accept, for example, a bottle of wine whose market value is
less than $20 without violating the Standards of Conduct. However, even
under this exception, your letter carrier could not accept a gift of cash.
Because of the general nature of your ethics inquiry, we have provided you
with a brief overview of the gift rule's application to employees of
executive branch agencies. However, it is often best that you contact an
ethics official of the employee's own agency for specific advice on the
application of the Standards of Conduct. As a general matter, each
executive branch agency is required to have a designated agency ethics
official appointed to administer the agency's ethics program and have
ethics officials available to provide advice and counseling on ethical
matters to agency employees. Moreover, we note that some agencies have
published supplemental rules that apply to their employees only which are
in addition to the Standards of Conduct or have other related statutes that
are unique to their agencies.
Therefore, should you have any additional questions or need additional
information (such as the names and telephone numbers of ethics officials at
your local USPS office), you may contact USPS' Designated Agency Ethics
Official. We appreciate your ethics inquiry and wish you the best in the
new year.
posted on December 9, 2000 12:16:56 AM new
I would not know who to give the gift to, we have 2-3 different mail carriers in any given week. Mail could come at Noon or it could come at 8:00 pm. I almost feel like a test neighborhood for the USPS.
posted on December 9, 2000 12:29:04 AM new
Thanks for this thread. I was going to go with cash for the mailman, but I guess I'll go with a gift certificate. I forgot all about the postal clerks! They are so sweet, unfortuntely I'm on a budget. Maybe a couple of movie rentals or dinner at Fresh Choice (salad bar).
posted on December 9, 2000 04:50:40 AM new
I had heard about the regulations regarding gifts to Postal employees many years ago...
So, I have always given the guys a calendar each year...
I figured at the very least they could hang it at work and share it with everyone...
Starting last year, I began making the calendars myself and it's proven to be a BIG hit...
Most are flattered with the "homemade" gift, but I think the fact that I use Marilyn Monroe pics might have something to do with it...
Over this past year, I've snagged TONS of Marilyn pics off the 'net to choose from...
This is great because as I've posted before, they seem to use my route as a training route, so there's lots of mailmen to give to this year...
"Wit is educated insolence."
posted on December 9, 2000 07:42:34 AM new
Last year I gave my delivering mailman $25 + a Postal Man Snow Globe....My clerks at the PO got $25 each + the same snow globe....+ a big huge tin of cookies for the staff at the PO to share....
This year each will get the same $25 (I'm sure they aren't bothered by the "official" rules & everyone can use extra cash this time of year!)....+....Homemade brownies for the PO staff....
posted on December 9, 2000 08:50:36 AM new
Speaking from experience, since my husband is a rural carrier, he loves it when he receives cash. We also leave cash for our local carrier. That is what most people need this time of year especially. In spite of the "jokes" it is a tough job, especially with all the extra packages this time of year. Be nice to your mailmen!
posted on December 9, 2000 08:52:13 AM new
OOPPPs. I just realized my last statement was politically insensitive. So be extra nice to your postal employees!
posted on December 9, 2000 12:58:23 PM new
That IS total BS, about "Government Employee Ethics". Who in the right mind would reject a gift? My god, if someone gave me 25 dollars and some cookies for a hard job done, I'd be pissing in my pants fantastic for being appreciated. It is insane to think that the government must feel they need to CONTROL things of such small proportions (as to bigger things, like international affairs).
Cash and a box of gourmet choclates it is, if then person doesn't accept it, choclates for me 0_o
