Open season, the annual period when USPS employees can make benefits changes, begins Nov. 13. Employees can choose from a variety of health, vision and dental coverage through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program and flexible spending accounts. Eligible noncareer employees can choose the USPS Health Benefits […]
Three USPS employees — two in Utah and one in California — have deployed their artistic talents in service to veterans. Norah Strebel, a mail handler at the Salt Lake City Processing and Distribution Center, worked as a graphic designer for 18 years before joining USPS last year. She is a veteran of the Army […]
City Carrier Assistant Kristian “Krissy” Shows was delivering mail recently in Ferriday, LA, when she spotted a house on fire. The Postal Service employee called 911 to report the blaze. No customers were home at the time. Emergency responders credited Shows’ quick action for helping to prevent the fire from spreading to the other homes […]
The Office of Personnel Management has extended the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) contract with the John Hancock Life and Health Insurance Co. for seven years. Under the new contract, a rate increase will be needed for many current enrollees because the current FLTCIP premiums are not sufficient to meet the program’s future […]
The Postal Service honored more than 170 employees with stellar safe driving records at the organization’s National Logistics Symposium in Kansas City, MO, last week. The event, held Oct. 24-26, also featured safe driving demonstrations, educational sessions and training to promote safe driving practices. “We want our drivers to return home to their families every […]
Letter Carrier Tommy Howe was delivering mail in Taunton, MA, last summer when he spotted an older customer lying near the side of the road. The man, who was barely breathing, was next to a lawn mower that was still running. The customer had been stung multiple times after the mower struck a beehive. Howe […]
The latest Delivering for America postcard was recently mailed to employees’ homes. The card touts the Postal Service’s carbon reduction efforts, including deploying electric delivery vehicles, consolidating trips, moving volume from air to ground shipment, and modernizing facilities with energy-efficient lighting and equipment. In addition to being sent to employees’ homes, Delivering for America postcards […]
The Postal Service wants to remind employees that they have access to licensed professionals who are available to provide confidential counseling, consultation and coaching services to help manage life’s challenges. The USPS Employee Assistance Program is a free, voluntary resource that offers assessment, referral, short-term counseling and more to postal employees and their families. EAP […]
Yancy Still, a highway contract route driver, was recently delivering mail in Sharon Springs, KS, the day after a tornado hit the area. He checked on one of his older customers, who lives in a rural location, and discovered that the man had been stuck in a chair all night surrounded by debris from the […]
Here’s a look at some recent changes in the Postal Service leadership ranks: • Florida 3 District Manager Jean C. Lovejoy retired from USPS after 36 years of service. Texas 3 District Manager Thomas O. Billington III was named Florida 3 District’s acting manager, while San Antonio, TX, Postmaster Robert D. Carr was named Texas […]
The Postal Service wants employees and contractors to beware of smishing scams involving package delivery issues, especially during the holidays. Smishing refers to text messages sent by online criminals to con victims into downloading malicious software or divulging passwords and financial account information. For instance, a smishing text might read, “The package has arrived at […]
Letter Carrier Julie Wasil was recently delivering mail in Fort Walton Beach, FL, when she saw a customer fall. The man had become dizzy and collapsed as Wasil approached the front door. She stayed by his side until his wife arrived to check on him. Both women helped the man get back on his feet […]
A lead from a retail associate in California has led to a shipping deal worth more than $205,000 for the Postal Service. Evelyn Riley, who works at the Bicentennial Post Office in West Hollywood, assisted a customer who wanted to mail more than 100 packages at the retail counter. Riley told the customer about USPS […]
Central Area Vice President Eric Henry covered a lot of ground earlier this month, administering oaths of office at two major installations in the Midwest just days apart. He did the honors for Maria Diggs-Jones, the 39th person and first African American woman to hold the job of postmaster at the Main Post Office in […]
Letter Carrier Tessa Rios was recently delivering mail in Arlington, TX, when she saw a customer running and screaming for help. After pulling over and parking her vehicle, Rios approached the woman and overheard her frantic conversation with a 911 dispatcher who was instructing her to perform CPR. The Postal Service employee accompanied the customer […]
The Postal Service is reminding facility managers to check the condition of their POW-MIA flags before Veterans Day, Nov. 11. The upcoming observance is also a good time to check the condition of U.S. flags and the poles that they fly from. USPS facilities are required to display the POW-MIA flag along with the U.S. […]
Each year, the Postal Service designates the months of September through December to promote its semipostal stamps, which raise funds related to the cause associated with the stamps. The lineup is Alzheimer’s (September), Breast Cancer Research (October), Save Vanishing Species (November) and Healing PTSD (December). Earlier this year, the Ethics Office issued a set of […]
Letter Carrier Clifford Bennett was delivering mail in Summersville, WV, recently when he spotted an older customer lying on her porch. Bennett suspected the woman was having a seizure and called 911. The Postal Service employee placed the woman on her side as he waited for emergency responders. He also called Summersville Customer Services Supervisor […]
Here’s a look at Postal Service employees who received appointments or recognition recently: • Justin A. Fanicase was named revenue and volume reporting director. He previously served as statistical reporting and design manager. […]
Carrier Technician Vijean Manivasan jumped into action on a recent morning at the Panorama Post Office in Rochester, NY. He witnessed an older customer in her car pull into the facility’s parking lot. As the woman opened the vehicle’s door to get out, she fell out of her seat, hitting the ground. As Manivasan rushed […]
A sales lead from a customer services supervisor in Ohio has led to a collaboration that brought in $663,000 for the Postal Service. Rotishia Smith of the Solon Post Office spoke with a customer who wanted to use USPS for shipping but also needed pickup service, so she submitted a lead. Craig Zielaskiewicz, a senior […]
Three generations of the Ramos family — one for each tour — help keep the wheels turning around the clock at the Los Angeles Processing and Distribution Center. The first family member — Jose Ramos — joined USPS 15 years ago. He’s a tractor-trailer operator and works an early shift. His father, Refugio Ramos Sanchez, […]
Retail Associate Lorraine “Lorrie” Stein was recently on duty at the Honeoye Falls, NY, Post Office when she noticed an older customer begin to wobble while waiting in line. As Stein came out from behind the counter to offer her a chair, the woman started to faint. Stein caught her, saving her from potentially hitting […]
Postal Service employees can participate in a webinar on the challenge of choosing food wisely while at work. The session, “Eating 9-5: Solutions for Workplace Challenges,” will be held Oct. 17 at noon Eastern. GEHA, a not-for-profit provider of health plans for federal employees, will conduct the webinar, which will explore how the right foods […]
Here’s a look at Postal Service employees who received appointments or recognition recently: • Michael M. Janssens, property management manager, was named Eastern Region’s acting facilities repair and alterations director. • Alisa M. Zanetti, retail and delivery strategy and planning program manager, was named acting retail and delivery strategy and planning director. […]
The Postal Service celebrated the Ruth Bader Ginsburg stamp release at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, on Oct. 2. Ginsburg (1933-2020) was the 107th U.S. Supreme Court justice and the second woman on the court. She was a lifelong trailblazer as a woman in a male-dominated field, a law professor, an expert […]
USPS has notified the Postal Regulatory Commission of mailing services price changes to take effect Jan. 21, 2024. The proposed adjustments, approved by the governors of the Postal Service, would raise mailing services product prices approximately 2 percent. The proposed changes include: • Letters (1 ounce): 66 cents (current), 68 cents (planned) • Letters (metered […]
Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar about creating breathing room in their busy lives. The webinar, “Finding More Margin in Your Day,” will be held Monday, Oct. 16, at noon Eastern. Representatives from Kaiser Permanente, a provider of health plans for federal employees, will share insights on reducing time stress, creating healthier […]
Postal Service employees who are military veterans or presently serving in the military — and who would like to submit photos for possible inclusion in an upcoming Veterans Day video — should do so by Friday, Oct. 13. Email submissions — including the veteran’s name, rank and USPS district — to Military Program Specialist Marty […]
Sales leads from a clerk in Michigan have led to shipping deals worth more than $167,000 for the Postal Service. Michelle Muse, who works at the Fort Street Post Office in Detroit, heard a concern from a customer and then jumped into action by submitting a lead. Richard Peeples, a territory sales executive, followed up […]