President Joe Biden has ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff on Tuesday, Dec. 19, to honor Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman on the Supreme Court, who died Dec. 1. Flags should be flown at half-staff until sunset on Dec. 19. To fly the flag at half-staff, hoist the flag to the peak […]
The Thrift Savings Plan has announced its holiday schedule: • Dec. 15: December installment payments will be processed and reported to the IRS as 2023 income. • Dec. 20: Any 2023 required minimum distributions (RMDs) for civilian, uniformed services and beneficiary participants who have a remaining RMD balance will be processed. These payments will be […]
Link is looking back at the year in “Heroes’ Corner” with a countdown of the 10 most-viewed articles. Coming in at No. 7 is “Setting the scene,” the story of Felicia Harpp-Cordell. The retail associate was on duty at the Warrensburg, NY, Post Office when she received a text message alerting her to an accident […]
Here’s a look at some recent changes in the Postal Service leadership ranks: • Carlos E. Del Toro was named Puerto Rico District’s manager. He previously served as Post Office operations manager. • Simimole V. George, Southern Area’s operations integration manager, was named to a detail assignment on the team overseeing the implementation of sorting […]
The Postal Service has issued a policy on providing pregnancy-related accommodations to employees. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires employers to accommodate pregnancy-related medical restrictions if an employee has a qualifying disability. However, under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act — also known as the PWFA — employers must provide reasonable accommodations to known limitations of […]
Link is looking back at the year in “Heroes’ Corner” with a countdown of the 10 most-viewed articles. Coming in at No. 8 is “A faint plea,” the story of JoShana Williams. The letter carrier was delivering mail to a customer last winter in Beech Grove, IN, when she noticed the main door was slightly […]
Link would like to publish a story about Postal Service employees who’ve made — and kept — New Year’s resolutions. If you’ve made changes such as eating healthier, getting fit, spending less time on electronic devices or quitting smoking, we’d like to hear from you. Send an email to link@usps.gov and a member of our […]
The Postal Service is inviting employees to audition for upcoming advertising campaigns. Employees who are selected to participate could be featured in a variety of ads, including TV commercials. The casting call is open to all employees. No prior acting experience is required. The USPS Employee Casting website has instructions on creating and submitting audition […]
Link is looking back at the year in “Heroes’ Corner” with a countdown of the 10 most-viewed articles. Coming in at No. 10 is “Brave Graves,” the story of Camille Graves. The rural carrier was delivering a package to a customer in Brookfield, MA, when she heard a cry for help from inside the home. […]
USPS offers two catalogs for employees and customers looking for holiday gifts for philatelists and postal aficionados. The Delivering Cheer catalog can be downloaded from the online Postal Store. The 52-page publication offers notecards, stationery, stamps and stamp-inspired products commemorating significant moments in U.S. history. Collectible items — such as official White House Christmas ornaments, […]
Postal Service employees may participate in an upcoming webinar on improving self-care. The session, “Taking Care of YourSELF: Sleep, Exercise, Love and Food,” will be held Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. Eastern. Representatives from Kaiser Permanente, a provider of health plans for federal employees, will explain how the daily practice of simple strategies relating to […]
Postal Service employees can use PostalEASE to enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program or the USPS Health Benefits Plan. PostalEASE can be accessed from the Benefits Enrollment Changes section of the Open Season LiteBlue page, or by calling the employee service line at 877-477-3273 and selecting option 1. The Federal Relay Service number […]
Letter Carrier Tara Montville was recently delivering mail in Ashland, MA, when she heard a customer yelling for help inside a residence. As Montville approached the front door, the woman said she had fallen the night before and had been unable to get up. The Postal Service employee contacted the Ashland Post Office and 911 […]
USPS employees should ensure their self-service profile is set up on PostalEASE — the platform used to make changes to benefits during open season. Employees will need to have a personal identification number (PIN) and multifactor authentication set up before they can make any changes. A PIN can be reset by calling the Human Resources Shared […]
Postal Service employees can participate in upcoming webinars on educational benefits for military members. The sessions will be held Dec. 5 at 6:15 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. Eastern time. Representatives from the University of Phoenix, a USPS educational partner, will advise on how to receive college credit for military experience, mentorship opportunities, and benefits and […]
The Postal Service has announced release dates for some of next year’s stamps, along with the cities where the dedication ceremonies will be held: • Lunar New Year: Year of the Dragon, Jan. 25, Seattle; • Black Heritage: Constance Baker Motley, Jan. 31, New York City; • The Underground Railroad, March 9, Church Creek, MD; […]
A flexible spending account may be a good option for Postal Service employees who wear eyeglasses, visit the dentist more than twice a year, or have other needs. Flexible spending accounts, or FSAs, allow employees to set aside money on a pretax basis to pay for health care and dependent care expenses. USPS employees can […]
Here’s a look at Postal Service employees who received appointments or recognition recently: • Allen Mitchell, the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center’s plant manager, was named the Milwaukee Processing and Distribution Center’s acting plant manager. • Dapo O. Oladeji, the Champaign, IL, Processing and Distribution Center’s plant manager, was named the Carol Stream, IL, […]
In a new video highlighting the importance of the Combined Federal Campaign, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy stresses the spirit of service that runs through USPS. “Serving the public is the foundation of our work, and the CFC is an opportunity to do even more for the communities we serve and the causes we care about,” […]
It’s the season of giving — and of ethics reminders about gift exchange among Postal Service employees. A gift is considered anything that has monetary value. Items not considered gifts include food and drink that are not part of a meal (soft drinks, doughnuts and the like) and items intended for presentation, such as cards […]
Letter Carrier Jacob Leas was delivering mail recently to an apartment building in Akron, OH, when he heard a cry for help. Leas went down the hallway knocking on doors until he identified the source of the sound. He asked to enter the apartment and then found an 89-year-old customer trapped underneath her refrigerator. The […]
Postal Service employees have two more weeks to change their health coverage or enroll in a new plan. Open season, the annual period when USPS employees can make benefits changes, ends Monday, Dec. 11. Employees can choose from a variety of health, vision and dental coverage options through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, the […]
Angela D. Lawson has been appointed technology applications vice president. Lawson has held the position on an acting basis since June 30. She succeeds Garrett Hoyt, who retired. In this role, Lawson is responsible for planning, developing and maintaining software that achieves organizational objectives and improves the customer experience. She is also responsible for modernizing […]
Here’s a look at Postal Service employees who received appointments or recognition recently: • Steven A. Grant, the Queens, NY, Processing and Distribution Center’s plant manager, was named the Brooklyn, NY, Processing and Distribution Center’s acting plant manager. • Sheila M. Smith, the West Palm Beach, FL, Processing and Distribution Center’s plant manager, retired Oct. […]
The Postal Service wants employees to understand the four types of health plans available during this year’s open season. The plan types are: • Health maintenance organizations, or HMOs, which provide care from in-network physicians and hospitals located in particular geographic or service areas; • Preferred provider organizations, or PPOs, which offer fee-for-service plans that […]
Roman Martinez IV was reelected chairman of the USPS Board of Governors on Nov. 14. The governors also elected Amber F. McReynolds as vice chairman. Martinez joined the board in August 2019 and is serving the remainder of a seven-year term that expires in December 2024. He was elected the board’s 25th chairman in January […]
Rural Carrier Juan Ocasio was delivering mail recently in New Port Richey, FL, when he spotted smoke rising from behind a customer’s residence. Ocasio checked the rear of the home and saw a tree, shed and the back of the residence enveloped in flames. As a neighbor called 911, Ocasio ran to the home’s front […]
Many people are confused by health insurance terminology. To help USPS employees navigate their way through this year’s open season benefits enrollment period, here are some important definitions: • Copayment: This is a fixed amount paid for certain covered health care services. • Coinsurance: This is similar to a copayment but refers to a percentage […]
A federal ethics document for USPS employees was revised recently for the first time since its introduction in 1995. The revisions took effect Sept. 7. Many guidelines in the Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the United States Postal Service address outside employment and business activities. Some rules have been eased. Employees may […]
The Postal Service has reported its financial results for fiscal year 2023 (Oct. 1, 2022-Sept. 30, 2023). Here are the highlights: • Revenue. Total operating revenue was $78.2 billion, a decrease of 0.4 percent from the previous fiscal year. First-Class Mail revenue increased 2.1 percent, while Marketing Mail revenue decreased 5.8 percent. Shipping and packages […]