we usually give gift cards each year. Mainly because some companies (I worked for a couple) have rules regarding cash gifts and the size of gifts employees can accept. I am copying an article on the US Postal service explanation of THEIR rules for your info.
"According to the Postal Service, federal regulations allow all postal employees—including carriers—to accept a gift worth $20 or less from a customer per occasion, such as a holiday or a birthday. However, cash and cash equivalents, such as checks or gift cards that can be exchanged for cash, may never be accepted in any amount. In addition, no USPS employee may accept more than $50 worth of gifts from one customer in a calendar year period.
If you decide to ignore the rule when you give, your mail carrier must reimburse you for the cost of any gifts exceeding the $20 limit, or for gifts where the value of the item cannot be easily determined. This is done in two ways: either by returning the gift itself or by sending financial reimbursement.
Here's an example of the second option: If you were to give your mail carrier a bouquet of flowers worth more than $20, they would then have to figure out the actual value and send you a reimbursement for the full value. Your intentions may have been kind, but now your mailman has to make an extra effort to research the cost of your gift and then pay you the full amount out of their own pocket. That doesn't seem like much of a gift, does it? That's why it's important to understand—and follow—the rules of gifts for postal workers.
Unacceptable Gifts for Postal Workers
Postal workers are prohibited from accepting the following items:
Cash
Checks
Stocks
Liquor
Anything that can be exchanged for cash
Anything of monetary value more than $20
Acceptable Gifts for Postal Workers
Some acceptable gifts for your mail delivery person include:
Modest refreshments such as coffee, doughnuts, cookies, or soda
Plaques, trophies, and other items intended for presentation
Perishable items such as food, candy, fruit, or flowers, so long as they are to be shared with other postal workers
Retail gifts cards with a value of less than $20 that cannot be converted to cash"
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