The Postal Service recently reminded employees of the rules surrounding seeking employment with an outside organization.
But what about the rules on seeking a job with another employer after you’ve left USPS?
Under federal law, former postal employees aren’t prohibited from accepting a job with any particular employer.
However, if you take a job with another organization, you could be prohibited from interacting with your former postal colleagues for a certain period of time.
For example, you may not communicate on behalf of your new employer with a former postal colleague on matters that you worked on together during your time with USPS if those matters involved outside organizations or individuals.
Also, you’ll have to wait two years before you can communicate with a former postal colleague on matters if someone who reported to you worked on those matters and they involved outside organizations or individuals.
Another example: Some senior managers who leave USPS for a non-federal organization aren’t permitted to communicate with current postal employees on behalf of a new employer for one year.
The bottom line: If you have questions about what you can and can’t do after leaving the Postal Service, contact the USPS Ethics Office for guidance. The email address is ethics.help@usps.gov.
Throughout 2019, the Postal Service is educating employees about the federal government’s principles and standards of ethical conduct.
In addition to employment matters, the campaign has covered avoiding financial conflicts of interest involving close relatives and avoiding general financial conflicts of interest, community service activities, misuse of position, and the general standards of ethical conduct.