Gifts, entertainment, and favors.

§ 905.735–202 Gifts, entertainment, and favors. Pursuant to paragraph (b) of 5 CFR 735.202, the following exceptions to the restriction of paragraph (a) of that section are authorized. Employees may: (a) Accept gifts and other things of value under circumstances which arise from an obvious family or personal relationship(s) (such as between the parents, children, or spouse of the employee and the employee), when the circumstances make it clear that it is those relationships rather than the business of the persons concerned which are the motivating factors; (b) Accept food and refreshments of nominal value on infrequent occasions in the ordinary course of a luncheon, dinner, or other meeting, or on an inspection tour where an employee may properly be in attendance; (c) Accept loans from banks or other financial institutions on customary terms to finance proper and usual activities of employees, such as home purchase; (d) Accept unsolicited advertising or promotional materials, such as pens, pencils, note pads, calendars and other items of nominal intrinsic value; (e) Participating without payment in privately funded activities in the Washington metropolitan area if: (1) An invitation is addressed to the Chairman or Executive Director of the Corporation and approved by either of them; (2) no provision for individual payment is readily available; and (3) the activities are limited to ceremonies of interest to both the local community and the Corporation (such as ground breakings or openings), or are sponsored or encouraged by the Federal or District Government as a matter of policy; and, (f) Participate in widely attended lunches, dinners, and similar gatherings sponsored by industrial, commercial, technical and professional associations, or groups, for discussion of matters of interest both to the Corporation and the public. Participation by an employee at the host's expense is appropriate if the host is an association or group and not an individual.