Susan Gleim, Wichita, KS
I was worried I wouldn’t be able to vote this year because I forgot to put a stamp on my request for a ballot, but I received my ballot in the mail anyway. I owe it all to the Postal Service and our dedicated employees. […]
Katie Howard
Posts by Katie Howard
Important info
The Postal Service wants employees to know about some important changes concerning the open season benefits enrollment period that began this week. Here’s a rundown: • The U.S. Office of Personnel Management recently announced that the average total premiums for individuals enrolled in plans under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) will increase by […]
Going for gold
When the 2020 Race for a $Billion campaign finished in September, Arizona/New Mexico District found that it had surpassed its own goal for the initiative by almost 200 percent. Race for a $Billion began Oct. 1, 2019, and aimed to raise $1 billion through employee-generated sales leads by the end of the fiscal year on […]
Safety for numbers
The Postal Service is reminding employees and contractors to never send credit or debit card numbers electronically. Email, text messages and instant messaging generally are not secure forms of communication — and encryption doesn’t make snooping impossible. Consequently, employees and contractors shouldn’t send USPS-issued personal or customer-related credit or debit card numbers in any form […]
John Henderson, Cincinnati
The “2020 Veterans Day Celebration” video is a truly honest and sincere tribute to all the men and women who currently or previously served in the military. […]
Annual Leave Exchange
The Postal Service is providing employees with corrected information about the Annual Leave Exchange (ALE). Due to a technical error, some employees recently received letters that included incorrect dates for the benefits enrollment period and participation in the ALE program, as well as the incorrect number of hours that employees can exchange. A letter with […]
Staying connected
The Postal Service is working with Sandboxx, an app for military families, to help customers use Informed Delivery to connect with loved ones who have entered basic training. Developed by military veterans, Sandboxx allows people to use their digital devices to write messages to friends and family who are in basic training. The app then […]
Fair share
Postal Service employees can participate in an online benefits fair throughout open season, which runs from Nov. 9-Dec. 14 this year. The Virtual Benefits Fair offers information about the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program and Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP), as well as flexible spending accounts. Employees […]
Climbing the ranks
Here’s a look at some recent changes in the USPS leadership ranks: • Rocky Argel, the San Francisco Network Distribution Center’s distribution operations manager, was named the Northern California Surface Transfer Center’s acting manager. • Peter Avery, a Northeast Area network operations analyst, was named the New Jersey Surface Transfer Center’s acting manager. • Paul […]
Ship ahoy!
To help mark the recent release of the Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor stamp, here are three facts about the famed merchant ship that brought America’s early settlers to the New World. 1. The Mayflower’s journey lasted several months. On Sept. 6, 1620, the Mayflower and its more than 100 passengers set sail from Plymouth, a […]
Now open
Open season, the once-a-year opportunity for Postal Service employees to make changes to their health coverage or choose a new plan, is Nov. 9-Dec. 14 this year. Here’s what you should know: • You should review your coverage. The Postal Service wants you to evaluate your options to ensure you have the coverage you need […]
Rainy day distress
Rural Carrier Associate Christian Perry was recently delivering mail in Aliceville, AL, when she spotted an older customer in apparent distress outside his home during a rainstorm. The man, who had fallen in his driveway, was trying to climb into his truck parked there, and he was slumped over the driver’s seat when Perry saw […]
Vanessa Dunham, Capitol Heights, MD
I love Link’s weekly “News Quiz.” It lets me test my postal knowledge on things I know and new things I’ve learned. […]
Customer attention
A retail associate’s conversations with two customers mailing packages for their company has led to more than $98,000 in new revenue for the Postal Service. Timothy Junghans was on duty at Downtown Station in Columbus, GA, when he noticed a regular customer who was mailing a few packages multiple times a week. The customer works […]
Get packing
The Postal Service is offering customers tips for sending packages during the upcoming peak shipping season. By becoming familiar with the list of prohibited shipping items and size and weight requirements, customers can avoid having packages returned to sender. Here’s what customers should know: • Shipping restrictions: There are guidelines to keep certain hazardous, restricted […]
Brian Harrifeld, Lincoln, NE
After reading “Doggie double take,” the article highlighting USPS dog costumes, I had one thought: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor lure of kibble stays these canines from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” […]
Smelling, telling
City Carrier Assistant Michelle Danner was recently delivering mail in a Newfane, NY, neighborhood when she smelled the odor of gas leaking at a residence. Because the customer did not appear to be at home, Danner alerted a neighbor, who called the gas company. Utility workers soon discovered and repaired a major leak. The customer […]
Delivery procedures
The Postal Service is reminding employees that new social distancing procedures have been implemented to help protect workers who deliver mail during the coronavirus pandemic. To reduce health risks, the organization has temporarily modified procedures for Mobile Delivery Devices (MDDs); Form 3811, Domestic Return Receipt; Form 3849, We ReDeliver for You; and any hard-copy receipt […]
High achievers
Here’s a look at some recent changes in the USPS leadership ranks: • Stefanie S. Cherry, Great Lakes Area’s operations industrial engineering field integration manager, was named acting business solutions network modeling manager. • Jeremy Merlo, facilities services manager based in Windsor, CT, was named acting facilities construction manager. • Teresa Pelina, lead operations support […]
Salute!
To help mark Veterans Day on Wednesday, Nov. 11, here are some things you may not have known. 1. Veterans Day originated as Armistice Day on Nov. 11, 1919, marking the first anniversary of World War I’s end. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday […]
Maine event
Deer Isle, ME, Rural Carrier Associate Tiffany Limeburner was recently delivering mail to a 98-year-old customer in nearby Stonington when a serious mishap occurred: The woman fell, striking her head on the floor and scraping her arms. Limeburner safely helped her get up and into a kitchen chair, then alerted local Postmaster Stephanie Black, who […]
Djuana Johnson, San Francisco
“Little boy blue,” the article about Philadelphia Letter Carrier Jody Forte and Julius Westfall, his 2-year-old pal, watered my eyes and warmed my heart. Thank you, Jody, for making Julius one happy little boy. […]
All for One
The Power of One, a campaign to raise revenue for the Postal Service through sales leads from employees, is underway. The Small Business Sales team is leading the initiative, which began Oct. 1 and will continue through the end of the current fiscal year on Sept. 30, 2021. The team hopes the campaign will achieve […]
Rules of engagement
The Postal Service is continuing to remind employees of the rules surrounding political activity under the Hatch Act. The Hatch Act is a law that prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activity while on duty, while wearing a federal uniform or identification badge, while on federal property or while inside a federal vehicle. Under […]
Protection protocols
The Postal Inspection Service has introduced a website that outlines the law enforcement agency’s efforts to protect the integrity of election-related mail. The website, located at uspis.gov/election-mail-security, provides overviews of mail security initiatives — including government partnerships, digital security measures and process improvements — as well as tips for voters. Like the USPS website for […]
Reversal of misfortune
Letter Carrier John Lavoie was delivering mail one day last December in Arlington, MA, when a customer driving by saw him parked alongside a road. The woman wanted to see if Lavoie had a package she was expecting. But when she pulled over, she made an unfortunate mistake: She put her car in reverse instead […]
Doggie double take
It’s Halloween time, Americans are rallying around the Postal Service, people love their pets, and who couldn’t use a good chuckle right about now? Count those among the reasons you’re quite likely to see dogs dressed as letter carriers in your neighborhood and social media feed these days. The officially licensed USPS dog costume, introduced […]
Got your flu shot yet?
The Postal Service is encouraging employees to get a flu shot, which will be more important than ever this season because of the coronavirus pandemic. Flu vaccines don’t prevent the coronavirus, but they help to reduce flu-related illnesses, missed work and school, hospitalizations, deaths and burdens on the health care system. This means more medical […]
Rising to the top
Here’s a look at some recent changes in the USPS leadership ranks: • Anthony Gibson, Western Area’s sales director, was named acting national sales executive director. • Norris W. Hamm, the Fort Myers, FL, Processing and Distribution Center’s plant manager, was named the Manasota, FL, Processing and Distribution Center’s acting plant manager. • Jewelyn Harrington, […]
Proud people
To mark Native American Heritage Month, which begins Nov. 1, here are five things you may not have known. 1. The United States is home to 6.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. By 2060, this number is projected to reach 10.1 million people — or about 2.5 percent of the population, according to U.S. […]