For the purposes of the donation rules, the ministry is divided into the following: b. Exception #2: Supervisors can accept shared food and refreshments in the office and can contribute to the cost of an office party. As a general rule, you cannot request or accept a gift directly or indirectly: e. Exception #5: Federal employees may accept invitations to a group or group unrelated to government employment. (For example, if the owner of the building where your office is located organizes a reception for all tenants in the building.) There are limited circumstances in which you can accept gifts from your official position or prohibited sources. Even if a gift exception is applicable, you should always consider first whether it is appropriate to refuse the gift. With very few exceptions, full-time political officers who do not have a career are prohibited from accepting gifts from registered lobbyists or lobbying organizations. The following gifts from foreign governments are permitted under the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act (5 U.S.C§ 7342): Gifts of InformationAl Materials. You may accept unsolicited donations of disclosure materials, provided that the total market value of all disclosure materials received from an individual does not exceed $100 in a calendar year (if the value exceeds that amount, seek advice from your ethics counsellor). Information materials are writings, records, documents, records or other objects of an educational or informative nature; are not created primarily for entertainment, display or decoration; and contain information relating, in whole or in part, to the following categories: A gift is requested or accepted on the basis of an “official position” if it would not have been requested, offered or given, if the employee had not held the status, authority or duties related to his or her federal position. Social invitations.

You can accept a gift of food, refreshments and entertainment (except travel or accommodation) at a social event attended by several people, where there is no charge for those present and where the invitation does not come from a prohibited source. A written statement from the Agency agent is required if the sponsor of the event or the person issuing the invitation is not an individual. Example: You have been working with someone for many years and have become good friends. In fact, you started your work on the same day. She is in a higher class, but she is not your official supervisor. You want to give him a $50 gift. You and your friend are free to exchange gifts of any value at any time. Employees are generally not allowed to accept gifts from other employees who receive less salary, unless, as in this case, both are not in a superior-subordinate relationship and a personal relationship justifies the gift. Some items are excluded from the definition of a gift and you can accept them according to certain specific regulatory exclusions. Example: You and your wife like to entertain each other. They invite their subordinates to their home for a Christmas party and some of them bring gifts such as a candy box, a planter and a bottle of wine.

You can accept these hospitality gifts from subordinate employees and other employees who receive less salary than you, as the gifts are of a type and value commonly given as part of receiving personal hospitality. Similarly, you can accept personal hospitality in a residence of a subordinate employee or other employee who receives less salary than you, which is the type and value the employee usually provides to his or her personal friends. If there is no exclusion or exception for an employee to accept a gift, the department or office may be able to accept the item as a gift to the agency through their legal gift acceptance point. Employees should contact the lawyer`s office and the department`s ethics office or an ethics consultant in their office in such cases, especially if refusing to accept the gift would cause offense or embarrassment. Does this mean my entrepreneur friend can give me an annual supply of coffee drinks and fancy donuts for Christmas? No!! This is where the “20/50 exception” comes into play. Authorized donations from prohibited sources must be worth $20 or less and must not exceed $50 per year in total. And never, never, money. But remember: even if this exception may apply, if the acceptance of the gift gives the appearance of favoritism or corruption, the gift must be rejected.

You should consider rejecting an otherwise authorized gift if you believe that a reasonable person would question your impartiality or integrity as a result of accepting the gift. Gifts valued at $20 or less (retail market value) per occasion from a single source. Gifts that do not exceed $20 per source per occasion or $50 from a single source in a given calendar year may be accepted. Under no circumstances can they accept cash or cheques issued to them. .