Audio By Carbonatix
Nowadays, it seems like every place you go asks you for a tip.
From drive-thru coffee shops to public water fountains, hearing a worker say, “It’s just going to ask you a little question” after spinning around their iPad is slowly becoming a normal part of any financial exchange.
Still, it can be surprising to see a tip request in certain places. And in some instances, it might even be illegal.
For example, Tampa, Florida-based TikTok user Kathy Jennice (@kathy_onthebeach) recently observed a tip jar at a popular location that left her with a lot of questions. Chiefly, can they actually do this?
Is The United States Postal Service Accepting Tips Now?
In a video with over 24,000 views, Jennice shows what appears to be a basket for cash tips at a United States Postal Service (USPS) location. The basket already has a sizable amount of bills.
“Is this the new normal? A tip jar,” she writes in the caption, tagging the official account for the USPS.
The tip collection tray looks unofficial—likely for good reason. As it turns out, USPS workers are explicitly forbidden from collecting tips.
According to the USPS’ “Employee Tipping and Gift-Receiving Policy,” all postal employees are forbidden from accepting “cash and cash equivalents, such as checks or gift cards that can be exchanged for cash,” in “any amount.”
That said, if one wants to do something nice for their mail carrier or post office worker, they are still allowed to give them a gift. That’s provided it’s worth less than $20 and that the sum total of gifts from a single person does not exceed $50 per year.
If Jennice is concerned about this, she can report the issue either to the location’s postmaster or to the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. This is the main body responsible for investigating misconduct, fraud, waste, and abuse within the USPS. Complaints to it can be made anonymously. If Jennice plans to do this, she should be sure to mention the location of the post office, a description of what she saw, and the date and time of the incident.
Commenters Are Surprised
In the comments section, users were shocked by the presence of a tip jar in a post office. Many said they wouldn’t even consider tipping a postal worker.
“I ain’t tipping no government worker,” wrote a user.
“There is so much wrong here, they aren’t supposed to have all those hand typed signs everywhere either,” added another. “I work for USPS, please tell me where this is so I can report them.”
“It’s a fireable offense. Goverment employees are not allowed to accept gifts of any kind including tips. It’s part of the ethics training we take our 1st week in,” echoed a third.
BroBible reached out to USPS via email and Jennice via TikTok direct message and comment.
Content shared from brobible.com.