The Postal Service is reminding employees that federal ethics laws and regulations prohibit them from using their positions to benefit family, friends and business partners.
Managers who become aware that an employee is or will be in a direct reporting structure to a relative or significant other should immediately consult with Human Resources and Labor Relations.
If Human Resources approves the reporting relationship, the higher-level employee should not take actions that benefit the lower-level employee. This includes approving promotions, overtime, leave requests and detail assignment requests, as well as weighing in on disciplinary cases and compensation decisions. Instead, another employee should perform these supervisory tasks.
USPS policy prohibits spouses from directly reporting to each other. There must be at least one layer of supervision between them.
Postal Service employees are also prohibited from hiring, appointing, promoting or advancing a relative — including a spouse, parent, child, sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin, niece, nephew, in-law, stepparent, stepsibling or half-sibling.
Additionally, employees cannot advocate for such actions by putting in a good word to a hiring manager or making other types of suggestions.
The Ethics Blue page has additional information.
Employees with questions can email the USPS Ethics Office or call 202-268-6346.
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