Tipping the mail carrier (Medford: buying, living in, law)

[lovemaine]

The resurrected thread about tipping the paper carrier reminded me to ask: Do people in Maine tip their mail carriers? I know this time of year it seems that we tip left and right, but especially dealing with Maine weather, I think it would be nice to leave something for the mail carrier. Just curious if it's the norm here.

[BrokenTap]

I think as Federal Employees, it is technically against the law for them to accept tips. I work a lot with the NRCS and FSA and other then buying donuts once and awhile (as a Supervisor of the Soil and Water Conservation District mind you), it would be against the law for them to accept a tip. They are federal employees...that is their job. (not to sound cold or anything as I understand WHY you want to help them), but it is actually in poor taste to do so.

Originally Posted by lovemaine

The resurrected thread about tipping the paper carrier reminded me to ask: Do people in Maine tip their mail carriers? I know this time of year it seems that we tip left and right, but especially dealing with Maine weather, I think it would be nice to leave something for the mail carrier. Just curious if it's the norm here.

[lovemaine]

Originally Posted by BrokenTap

I think as Federal Employees, it is technically against the law for them to accept tips. I work a lot with the NRCS and FSA and other then buying donuts once and awhile (as a Supervisor of the Soil and Water Conservation District mind you), it would be against the law for them to accept a tip. They are federal employees...that is their job. (not to sound cold or anything as I understand WHY you want to help them), but it is actually in poor taste to do so.

Interesting. In WI most of our neighbors left a small gift for the mail carrier. In NC a few did. I understand if it's against the law, but personally I don't think it's in poor taste. Just being thoughtful...

[CoastalMaine]

I thank the mail carrier with homemade batches of goodies. Cookies, brownies, etc. She and I talk frequently and she is a nice lady. So I thank her for the good service she provides me in the manner allowed by the law. Because I travel frequently throughout the year, I have frequent stops and restarts and/or forwards of my mail. I also get a LOT of priority mail packages via ebay and I send out quite a bit. I don't think in todays world it would be very good manners to not show her she's appreciated in some small way.

[lovemaine]

I agree with you, Coastal. I had no idea it was against the law since none of the mail carriers ever refused a gift. Usually I would just leave a small gift card for Dunkin Donuts or some homemade cookies. Oh well, hopefully a holiday card is an okay thing to give...

[OutDoorNut]

Originally Posted by BrokenTap

I think as Federal Employees, it is technically against the law for them to accept tips.

I'm not positive, but I think it's legal to give them a gift that is worth $20 or less--but not cash.

But even if giving cash might be technically illegal, I think I heard a gift card is legal.

Anyway, down here in NYC I never heard of a mail carrier turning down a cash tip, and never heard of anyone getting in trouble over giving or taking a tip.

Back in the 1980s I was friends with a mail carrier and his family, and they counted on cash tips to help them with holiday expenses, the same way other people count on Xmas bonuses.

[Maineah]

I love tripping the mailman. It's great fun to see his letter bag go flying through the air! It takes him a good half hour to pick it all back up. I had no idea tripping him was illegal though.

[SportFury59]

Maineah must be already tripping, I mean tipping, the eggnog.... I was a mailman back in the '80's and I received gifts at Christmas. I think it was ok. Nothing was ever said about it. Didn't really feel ok about receiving them but...felt uncomfortable about refusing them.
Then I moved on to Federal Express. A few customers there would also give gifts. One in particular (if I may share) was the president of Tombstone Pizza, before it was sold to Kraft. He was/is a millionaire, living in a beautiful log cabin in Northern Wisconsin on about 200 acres, with lakes. He would always give me a bottle of bourbon or brandy and a card. Tombstone Pizza was invented in Medford, Wis by a bar owner who became extremely wealthy upon selling business to Kraft. His bar, by the way, was located across from a cemetery, hence the name Tombstone Pizza. Maine is kind of far from Wis, so hope you have that pizza up there.

[Nancy-NJ-NY-ME?]

Originally Posted by CoastalMaine

I thank the mail carrier with homemade batches of goodies. Cookies, brownies, etc. She and I talk frequently and she is a nice lady. So I thank her for the good service she provides me in the manner allowed by the law. Because I travel frequently throughout the year, I have frequent stops and restarts and/or forwards of my mail. I also get a LOT of priority mail packages via ebay and I send out quite a bit. I don't think in todays world it would be very good manners to not show her she's appreciated in some small way.

I'm with Coastal. DH and I both work from home, but travel a lot for business and pleasure. Our carrier's attention to detail helps us along the way through the year. We do give her a gift card and she always writes a personal thank you note to us. The folks at our post office are great too. Though we don't give gifts to them, we have complimented them on their service via the USPS website.

Our UPS courier is also a dream. We receive frequent deliveries, sometimes quite large. We found if we let him know that we'll be gone for a week, he finds a way to hold our incoming shipments at their depot instead of bringing them out, leaving the yellow notice or burdening a neighbor with the packages. We really appreciate this unofficial hold.

[RHB]

I am a federal employee, and OutdoorNut is correct. Not valued over $20 and not cash.