The government sector is very clear on tips - do not accept them. At the federal level they are also very strident about gifts and compensation. For instance, if you, as a federal employee, do a MAP survey, the honorarium check cannot be made out to you. Since MAP doesn't accommodate anything but giving it directly to you or to the organization for which you performed the MAP, it goes to the organization you visited. On the other hand, if you perform some task that you were asked to do that is not based on your position with the federal government, you may accept compensation/gifts/honoraria for that.
When I worked for a municipal museum I was presented with a gift for helping a foreign researcher. This was near the end of my tenure and I left it with the understanding that it was to go to the collection committee for review. If they did not accept it into the collection, it would then revert to me. It didn't matter to me that it did not closely fit our mission - I wanted the committee to make that judgement just as they would for any item I purchased that might conflict with the museum's collecting. I've witnessed a lot of scandal in this field and a lot of rumor and gossip. I want a paper trail behind me.
>>> [log in to unmask] 05/15/04 01:48PM >>>
Although I think a publicized no-tipping policy is a good one, and that
anyone receiving a tip should be encouraged to pass it along to the museum, I agree
with the one dissenter who wonders what harm there is in a museum guard or
other employee accepting a tip personally.
I think if I wrote a policy on tipping, I would say: (a) actively soliciting
tips is forbidden and could result in dismissal; (b) if offered a "surprise"
tip, tell the tipper that we are encouraged to pass tips along to a general
fund; (c) if the tipper insists that the tippee accept the tip personally
(remembering that the "customer is always right"), accept it with thanks and report
it on your income tax!
I would be interested in seeing any argument about why a museum employee
should not accept a tip if the tipper insists.
Full disclosure: Many years ago a man gave me a $5 bill after I agreed to
expedite his photo order. I've always felt vaguely guilty about this,
especially since I forgot to report it on my taxes (please don't report me to the IRS).
I am now considering, after all these years, dropping $5.00 into the
donations box at the museum entrance.
On perhaps three occasions, I've received small gifts from professional
colleagues. One was from a Japanese man who had a whole bag of similar gifts
(wrapped) to distribute to museum staff who helped him out, and I felt it would be
culturally injudicious to refuse. I'd welcome any discussion of such gifts.
David Haberstich
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