Under the Hatch Act, USPS employees cannot appear in a political candidate’s advertisements while wearing a postal uniform.
The Postal Service wants employees to know about the Hatch Act’s rules on misusing their government positions.
The Hatch Act is a law that prohibits postal and other federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity while on duty, while wearing a uniform, while on federal property, or while inside a federal vehicle.
Under the law, employees cannot use their official position to suggest the government endorses or sanctions their political activities.
For example, a USPS employee could not appear in a political candidate’s advertisements while wearing his or her postal uniform, using his or her job title or taking any other action that might create an appearance of an endorsement by the Postal Service.
Employees who misuse their government positions could be disciplined. Additionally, USPS could refer potential Hatch Act violations to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel for investigation.
The Postal Service is conducting a campaign to educate employees on the Hatch Act, including providing examples of colleagues who have run afoul of the law.
These examples include employees who:
- Distributed a political candidate’s signs at a Post Office
- Ran for a partisan political office while continuing to work for USPS
- Placed political signs in a delivery vehicle
- Wrote “corrections” on political mailpieces
- Made political posts to social media while on the clock
- Broadcast political endorsements while sitting in a postal vehicle
The Ethics Blue page has more Hatch Act resources, including a “Let’s Talk Politics!” fact sheet.
Employees who have questions can contact their local field law office or send an email to ethics.help@usps.gov.
Source: USPS