Generally, gifts should not to exceed $50 in a year from one source. Image: elisekurenbina/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffThis time of year is a good time for federal employees to brush up on policies for giving or receiving gifts in the workplace or in setting such as office-related holiday parties.
In sum, a federal employee may not give, or solicit a contribution for, a gift to an official superior, and may not accept a gift from an employee receiving less pay if the employee is a subordinate.
On occasions “where gifts are traditionally given” such as the holidays, employees may give the following to an official superior: items, other than cash, valued at $10 or less; items such as food and refreshments to be shared in the office; and personal hospitality provided at a residence which is of a type and value customarily provided by the employee to personal friends. (See also, Rules on Gifts in the Federal Government.)
Regarding gifts from outside, unless the frequency of the acceptance of gifts would appear to be improper, a federal employee generally may accept: gifts of $20 or less per occasion, not to exceed $50 in a year from one source, and gifts above those thresholds based on a personal relationship, not the position.
An employee should return gifts not meeting the exceptions or seek guidance on how to dispose of them.
An Office of Government Ethics guide to in-house office parties and gift exchanges, and to attendance at events hosted by contractors or others whose sponsorship might raise ethical issues is here.
OGE also recently issued guidance on the restrictions against federal employees accepting free hospitality and entertainment from certain prohibited sources, such as companies doing business with their agency, or when the offer is due to the employee’s position.
Acceptance of such benefits that have monetary value—and therefore could be deemed gifts—is a commonly-arising ethics issue in the holiday season, as is the scope of the “widely attended gatherings” exception to gift-acceptance restrictions. That exception allows employees to personally accept free attendance at certain large group events when it is in the government’s interest that the employee attend.
“Whether these events qualify for the WAG exception depends not only on the nature of the event, but also on the agency’s interest in the employee attending and the risk that their attendance may result in the employee being or appearing to be improperly influenced in the performance of their duties,” says a legal advisory at www.oge.gov.
Senate Eyes Vote to Pay Federal Employees Working Unpaid
Series of Bills Offered to Address Shutdown’s Impact on Employees
Public Starting to Feel Impact of Shutdown, Survey Shows
OPM Details Coverage Changes, Plan Dropouts for FEHB/PSHB in 2026
Does My FEHB/PSHB Plan Stack Up? Here’s How to Tell
2025 TSP Rollercoaster and the G Fund Merry-go-Round
See also,
TSP Takes Step toward Upcoming In-Plan Roth Conversions
5 Steps to Protect Your Federal Job During the Shutdown
Over 30K TSP Accounts Have Crossed the Million Mark in 2025
