Carolyn and
Caleb,
These letters are
typically part of a company's ethics policy.
Here are several
examples of sites with information:
GIFTS AND GRATUITIES
Subject to limited exceptions, any
government employee is prohibited
from soliciting or accepting gifts or
anything
of monetary value from any person or company seeking to do business with the employee’s agency. This includes
offerings
from any person regulated by, or with a substantial interest before, the
employee’s agency. As a general rule,
companies are
limited to gifts of $20 or less per
federal employee per occasion, with an
aggregate $50 annual limitation.
Exemptions are
provided for modest items of food and refreshment and items of nominal intrinsic value. As
a reciprocal restraint, contractors are
prohibited from giving anything of value to a government employee with the intent to influence an official act, such as
bribery,
or in response to an official act, such as
illegal gratuities. In many instances, the
mere public allegation of bribery can
cause significant damage to a company. The
safest policy is to limit all gifts to
under $20.
Hope this helps
answer the question.
Jim Kaplan
MSA, CIA, CFE, CSM
Fairfax County Public
Schools
Superintendent's OfficeDirector - Internal Audit
(703) 591-2590 Phone
(703) 591-4113 FAX
