Flag notifications. President Trump has ordered U.S. flags flown at half-staff to honor the victims of the mass shooting in Thousand Oaks, CA.
Flags should be flown at half-staff until sunset Saturday, Nov. 10.
To fly the flag at half-staff, hoist the flag to the peak for an instant and then lower it to the half-staff position. The flag should be raised to the peak again before it’s lowered for the day.
Additionally, Postal Service facilities are required to fly the POW-MIA flag to honor Veterans Day, which is Sunday, Nov. 11.
Because Veterans Day is a designated USPS holiday, facilities should raise the POW-MIA flag on the last business day that the facility is open before the holiday.
The POW-MIA flag must fly below the U.S. flag.
For more information, refer to the Postal Service’s online guidelines on U.S. flag display and maintenance, as well as the requirements for displaying the POW-MIA flag.
Protecting veterans. To help mark Veterans Day, the Postal Inspection Service is raising awareness of five scams that target current and former members of the armed forces.
The Inspection Service’s Nov. 8 news release, part of the agency’s Operation Protect Veterans campaign, has more information.
Opening soon. Reminder: Open season, the annual period when Postal Service employees can change their health benefits or enroll in a new plan, begins Monday, Nov. 12.
A variety of health, vision and dental coverage is available.
On Tuesday, Nov. 13, the Postal Service will hold the first of four webinars for employees who want to learn more about the available offerings.
Additionally, employees can participate in an online virtual benefits fair throughout this year’s open season, including a live chat with experts Nov. 13 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. EST.
The Open Season LiteBlue page has additional information and resources to help you prepare, including FAQs, informational videos and a link to a health plan comparison tool from Checkbook’s Guide to Health Plans.
Stay open. Speaking of open season: The benefits enrollment period is previewed in the Postal Bulletin’s Nov. 8 issue. The publication also includes the latest updates to policies, procedures and forms.
Got news for “Need to know”? Email your submissions to uspslink@usps.gov.
