Gifts, Benefits & Hospitality policy template
A clear policy setting rules for accepting and offering gifts, benefits and hospitality. Helps prevent corruption, bribery and conflicts of interest with practical thresholds and approval processes.
Gifts & benefits policy
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Why you need a gifts & benefits policy
Gifts and hospitality are a normal part of business relationships. However, without clear guidelines, they can create conflicts of interest, the appearance of impropriety, or even cross into bribery and corruption.
A good policy doesn't ban all gifts — that's impractical and can damage business relationships. Instead, it sets clear boundaries: what's acceptable, what requires approval, and what's never okay.
This protects both your business and your employees. Staff know exactly what they can accept without worry, and your organisation demonstrates a commitment to ethical business practices. HR software can help you maintain a gifts register and track policy acknowledgements.
Types of gifts and benefits
What your policy should cover
Gifts
Physical items such as wine, hampers, electronics or merchandise offered by third parties.
Cash & vouchers
Money, gift cards, shopping vouchers or other cash equivalents.
Hospitality
Meals, drinks, accommodation or entertainment provided by external parties.
Events & tickets
Invitations to sporting events, concerts, conferences or corporate functions.
Preferential treatment
Discounts, favourable terms or special access not available to others.
Travel
Flights, transport or travel expenses paid by third parties.
What's included in this template
A practical framework for managing gifts and benefits
Purpose & principles
Why managing gifts and benefits protects integrity and prevents corruption.
Scope & definitions
What constitutes gifts, benefits and hospitality under this policy.
General principles
Core rules for accepting and offering gifts and benefits.
Monetary thresholds
Value limits and when approval is required.
Approval process
How to seek permission for gifts above threshold values.
Prohibited gifts
Items that can never be accepted regardless of value.
Gifts register
Recording and reporting requirements for transparency.
Consequences of breaches
Outcomes for policy violations.
Review & acknowledgement
Policy maintenance and employee sign-off.
Setting appropriate thresholds
How to establish practical limits for your business
Token gifts (typically under $50)
Small tokens of appreciation like promotional items, modest food or flowers can usually be accepted without approval. These pose minimal risk and refusing them could damage relationships.
Moderate gifts ($50-$200)
Gifts in this range typically require disclosure and may require manager approval. This includes business meals, modest hampers, or tickets to events. The key test: would accepting this influence, or appear to influence, your decisions?
Significant gifts (over $200)
Higher-value gifts require senior management approval before acceptance. In many cases, these should be politely declined or shared among the team. Personal gifts of significant value from business contacts raise serious integrity concerns.
Always prohibited
Cash or cash equivalents, gifts during tender processes, gifts that create obligations, anything illegal, and gifts that would embarrass the organisation if made public should never be accepted regardless of value.
Who should use this template?
This template is valuable for businesses across all industries
Legal disclaimer
This template is designed to reflect Australian workplace standards and Fair Work principles at the time of publication. It is provided as a general guide only and does not constitute legal advice.
You should review and tailor this template to suit your business, industry, modern award, enterprise agreement and specific workplace circumstances. For complex situations or disputes, seek independent legal or HR advice.
Regulatory sources
This template is aligned with Australian employment and workplace standards.
Ready to set clear gift guidelines?
Download our Gifts, Benefits & Hospitality policy template and protect your business from corruption risks.
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Gifts & benefits policy FAQ
- Yes. This template provides a solid foundation, but you should tailor it to reflect your specific workplace, industry requirements, and any applicable modern award or enterprise agreement. Consider your business size, the nature of work performed, and any industry-specific regulations.
- Distribute the policy during onboarding for new employees and via email or team meetings for existing staff. Have employees sign an acknowledgement form confirming they have read and understood the policy. Using HR software with policy management can automate tracking of acknowledgements.
- Most policies set a threshold between $50-$100 for token gifts that can be accepted without approval. Check your specific policy for the exact limit. Regardless of value, never accept gifts that could influence decisions, create obligations, or appear inappropriate.
- Occasional modest hospitality (such as a business lunch) is generally acceptable if it has a legitimate business purpose. Lavish or frequent hospitality should be declined or reported. Consider whether a reasonable person would see the hospitality as an attempt to influence decisions.
- Politely decline, explaining your organisation's policy. If they insist, accept graciously to avoid offence, then report and register the gift immediately. Your manager can decide whether to return it, donate it to charity, or place it in a common area for all staff. See also our conflict of interest policy.
Related guides
Learn more about implementing this policy
Related templates
Complement your Gifts & Benefits policy with these related documents
Conflict of interest policy
Managing conflicts between personal interests and work duties.
View templateEthical conduct policy
Comprehensive ethical standards for business decisions and behaviour.
View templateCode of conduct policy
Comprehensive policy covering all aspects of workplace conduct and ethics.
View templateDisclaimer
This document is a general HR template provided for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and may not reflect the latest changes in legislation or apply to every workplace situation. RosterElf Pty Ltd and the template provider accept no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this document. Users should seek independent legal advice and customise the template to ensure it complies with all relevant laws, awards and workplace requirements.