Gifts, benefits & hospitality policy template
A free, ready-to-edit gifts, benefits and hospitality policy template for Australian workplaces. Set clear acceptance thresholds, a declaration register and conflict-of-interest rules that protect your integrity — no signup required.
Gifts & benefits policy
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By downloading, you agree to our template disclaimer
This gifts, benefits and hospitality policy template reflects Australian workplace and integrity standards at the time of publication and is provided as a general guide to adapt for your business. It does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice specific to your business, workforce, or circumstances.
Why your workplace needs a gifts & benefits policy
A gifts, benefits and hospitality (GBH) policy protects your organisation from conflicts of interest, bribery and corruption. It guides staff on when to politely decline or accept an offer, how to report it, and how to keep decision-making transparent.
Without clear rules, even well-intentioned gifts can create a perception that decisions are being influenced — damaging trust with customers, suppliers and the public. A documented policy removes the grey area: it sets dollar thresholds, defines what must always be refused, and records offers in a register. It works hand-in-hand with your conflict of interest policy and code of conduct.
The policy applies to everyone who can influence a decision — employees, contractors and board members. Recording declarations in your HR software gives you a single, auditable source of truth for every offer made or received.
What a gifts & benefits policy should cover
The building blocks of a transparent GBH policy
Definitions
Clear meanings for gifts, benefits and hospitality — and why cash is never accepted.
Core principles
Never solicit, default to declining, and never accept anything that could influence a decision.
Acceptance thresholds
Token (under $50) vs non-token (over $50) offers and the approval each needs.
Prohibited offers
Offers that must always be declined — cash, tenderers, lobbyists and conflicts.
Declaration register
Recording non-token offers — accepted or declined — for transparency.
Providing GBH
Rules for offering gifts or hospitality on behalf of the organisation.
What's included in this template
A complete framework for managing gifts, benefits and hospitality
Purpose & scope
What the policy covers and who it applies to — employees, contractors and board members.
Key definitions
Gifts, benefits and hospitality defined, with examples.
Core principles
Never solicit, 'thanks is enough', and no influence on official duties.
Acceptance thresholds
How token and non-token offers are handled, with approval requirements.
Prohibited offers
Offers that must always be declined, including cash and gifts from tenderers.
Declaration requirements
When and how to declare an offer using the GBH declaration form.
Gifts & hospitality register
A register template for recording and tracking all declared offers.
Providing GBH
Rules for offering gifts and hospitality on the organisation's behalf.
Review & acknowledgement
Policy maintenance and employee sign-off.
Setting thresholds and keeping a register
The two decisions that make a GBH policy work in practice
Set clear dollar thresholds
A common approach is a token threshold (e.g. under $50) for nominal items like a coffee, modest meal or branded pen — acceptable without approval but not repeatedly from the same source. Non-token offers (over $50) must generally be declined unless there’s a clear business benefit and prior written approval.
Some offers are always declined
Cash and cash-equivalents (including gift cards), offers from parties in a current tender or procurement, anything from lobbyists, and anything that creates an actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest must always be refused — and the offer still reported.
What goes in the register
The offer
What was offered, by whom, and its estimated value.
The decision
Whether it was accepted or declined, and the date.
Business benefit
For accepted offers, exactly how acceptance benefits the organisation.
Bribery flags
Declined or suspicious offers, to monitor stakeholder behaviour.
Declined prohibited offers should still be reported to management — a pattern of offers can reveal an attempted bribe. Record all non-token offers, whether accepted or declined.
When providing gifts or hospitality on the organisation’s behalf, make sure there’s a clear business purpose, costs are reasonable and proportionate, and the spend is approved by the right financial delegate. For tailored thresholds, model frameworks like the Victorian Public Sector Commission’s are a useful reference.
Who should use this template?
Any organisation whose staff deal with suppliers, clients or tenders
Especially important for procurement, board members and anyone involved in awarding contracts.
Integrity & compliance resources
Official guidance and model frameworks for gifts, benefits and hospitality.
Keep declarations on the record
RosterElf helps Australian businesses store policies, capture employee acknowledgements at onboarding and keep an audit trail of who has agreed to what — all in one place.
Related guides
Roll out and enforce the policy effectively
Related templates
Strengthen your integrity and conduct framework
Gifts & benefits policy FAQ
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A gifts, benefits and hospitality policy sets out how staff should respond to offers of gifts, benefits and hospitality — when to decline, when an offer can be accepted, and how to declare it. Its purpose is to prevent conflicts of interest, bribery and corruption, and to protect the integrity of the organisation.
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Yes. The template uses common thresholds (e.g. a $50 token limit) as a starting point, but you should set values that suit your industry and risk profile, and align them with any statutory requirements that apply to your sector. Public-sector and not-for-profit organisations often have prescribed limits to reference.
Before you download
General information only — not legal advice
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.