Gift question

[Momof208]

A friend at work received a gift certificate from another company, it was for all her hard work and time, the gift certificate is for 100.00 address to her specifically. She told her supervisor of the gift certificate and she was told that she can not accept it and she has to give it back. It would be seen as a "bribe" and it was against company policy.

She doesnt want to give it back being she sees it as a gift of apprecaition and not a bribe. She looked up the company policy and it doesnt state where any dollar amount would be seen as a bribe. She talked to her manager and she was told that she had to return it and if she spent it she would have to replace it with her own money. Then she also was told that there is a law in RI where you can not receive gifts of any kind. The manager told her that the law in RI superceeds the company policy. Is there such a law? And can she keep it being it was a gift of apprecation?

 

[cbg]

I'm not aware of any law to of that kind but her employer does have the right, law or not, to refuse to allow their employees to accept gifts. There does not have to be a written policy.

If her employer tells her that she has to give it back, then she has to give it back.

 

[Duranie]

If they tell her there is a policy that she cannot accept gifts, or ones over a certain amount, then she needs to give it back. If this 100.00 gift cert is worth her job, then she can keep it and face the music but it sounds like they can terminate her if she does not give the gift back, an the termination would be legal.

 

[brendo927]

Sounds like she works for the lottery or a state job. I wouldnt risk losing a job for 100.00 bucks if I were her.

 

[brendo927]

I live in RI and work for a company with the exact same policy and would get fired if I received a gift card, even know I am at the bottom of the food chain.