Avoid Holiday Headaches!

Courtesy my colleague Elizabeth Newell, a guide to the ethics of giving and getting this time of year:

During the holiday season, spreading good cheer can get feds into deep water! This time of year, with parties and gifts galore, it’s more important than ever to beef up on ethics guidelines. The Defense Department’s Standards of Conduct Office has a good five-page summary here , and the Interagency Ethics Council boiled it down as well.

The bottom line? Stick with small gifts, federal employees are allowed to accept gifts valued at under $20 from contractors and supervisors can accept gifts under $10 from subordinates. You’re generally in the clear with holiday cocktail parties but read through the guidance for the typically bureaucratic list of rules and exceptions!