Gifts From Clients or Suppliers policy template

Overview

The Company's aim is always to ensure customer and client satisfaction. Occasionally, satisfied customers, clients or other third parties may seek to reward employees with gifts or hospitality.

Scope

This company travel policy is applicable to all employees of [company name].

General principles

Whilst the Company has no desire to stop deserving employees receiving a reward from a satisfied customer or client, there is the potential for the abuse of a clients or customers generosity. In addition, certain suppliers offer reward schemes which allow employees to obtain free gifts in return for ordering services or products from that supplier.

The Company needs to be sure it's suppliers are competitive and that it's employees are acting in the best interests of the Company. As such, the Company needs to ensure there is a culture of honesty and transparency in the practice of receiving gifts, whether from customers, clients or suppliers.

For these purposes a gift is any payment, item or hospitality given to an employee on an apparent ex gratia basis by any party who is the Company's actual or potential client, customer or supplier.

If you receive a gift, you must report this to your line manager as soon as it is given to you. If you fail to do so, this constitutes a disciplinary offence and will be dealt with in accordance with the Company's disciplinary procedure. If an employee, in a clear position of trust, fails to report the receipt of a gift, this may be treated as gross misconduct in accordance with the Company's disciplinary procedure and could render the employee liable to summary dismissal.

If the Company discovers that a supplier has been used by an employee wholly or mainly because of the incentive of a free gift (and, as such, the employee has not acted in the best interests of the Company), this will also constitute a disciplinary offence and will be dealt with under the Company's disciplinary procedure. Depending on the seriousness of the offence, it may again be treated as gross misconduct and could render the employee liable to summary dismissal.

Unless the donor of the gift specifically states the gift is intended for a particular employee as a personal reward, all gifts are deemed to belong to the Company. Whether you will be permitted to keep the gift in these circumstances is at the Company's absolute discretion.