Here’s Link’s latest “News Quiz,” a weekly feature that invites readers to test their knowledge of recent stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. Fill in the blank: On average, USPS employees who made changes to their benefits last year are on track to save about (blank) pay period in 2019. a) 78 […]
A fair to remember. Postal Service employees can view video highlights from “Welcome to the New Cyber Frontier,” the organization’s recent cybersecurity awareness fair. The highlights include presentations from corporate and academic cybersecurity leaders, including representatives from Verizon, Domino’s and the University of California at Berkeley. Employees can also download tips, guidelines and other materials […]
Postal Service employees who want to save money for future medical expenses have several options during this year’s open season, which runs from Nov. 11-Dec. 9. If you enroll in a high-deductible health plan (HDHP), you may be eligible to contribute to a health savings account (HSA). An HSA allows you to pay for current […]
Think your commute is rough? Imagine being Georg Brendel. Brendel is a special agent for the USPS Office of Inspector General, which helps ensure the Postal Service’s efficiency, accountability and integrity. His assigned terrain is Alaska — also known as the Last Frontier, a state whose geography and weather pose unique challenges. While Alaska’s letter […]
I was amazed by the “Heroes’ Corner” story about Heather Adams, the Portland, ME, financial programs compliance manager who donated a kidney to a co-worker’s daughter. Blessings really do happen. […]
Open for business. USPS Operation Santa kicked off Nov. 18 and runs through Dec. 20. The annual program allows employees and customers to aid families in need by “adopting” their letters to Santa Claus and granting their holiday wishes. A legacy program available only in New York City and Chicago allows individuals to adopt letters […]
A new Postal Service video shows how this year’s holiday television commercials were filmed. The video showcases the five employees who appear in the ads, including Jose Godinez, a Redondo Beach, CA, letter carrier who, through the magic of Hollywood, delivers mail to a snow-covered farmhouse. “We’re in California and it doesn’t rain or snow […]
The Postal Service wants employees to follow its rules on using USPS-issued computers and mobile devices, including laptops, tablets and smartphones. Here’s what you should know: • Postal equipment should be used for postal business. However, the organization’s policy allows for limited personal use of USPS equipment, as well as office equipment and supplies. • […]
Nine facilities, teams, programs and individuals will receive Postmaster General Sustainability Excellence Awards for their efforts to help USPS achieve its sustainability goals. The honorees, announced last week, are: • eDispose, a collaboration that involves several USPS teams that worked together to develop an online portal that explains how to handle electronic waste • Erie, […]
When Gieti Mojadidi joined the Postal Service four years ago, she signed up for health benefits and didn’t give it another thought. Last fall, as open season approached, Mojadidi, an organization design consultant at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC, heard that premiums for her plan, CareFirst, were going up. That prompted her to use the […]
City Carrier Assistant Alfonso DeoCampo was recently making deliveries in Albuquerque, NM, when he discovered a note in a customer’s mail box indicating that she had harmed herself. DeoCampo soon discovered the woman inside her residence, unresponsive but still breathing. He immediately called 911 and rendered first aid until emergency responders arrived. “I’m a National […]
Thanks for the “Here’s the skinny” article on flats. It helped clear up some questions about padded and bubble-wrapped items. […]
USPS will soon have a better method to measure service performance, but it will require employees to think differently about the terms “urban” and “rural.” When you hear these terms now, you probably associate them with delivery route definitions. Urban refers to city routes, while rural refers to rural routes. In the delivery world, this […]
I’m an acting organizational development analyst with Employee Engagement at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC. A lot of people ask me what “engagement” means. Here’s what I tell them: Engagement is not “having” or “doing” — it’s “becoming.” When you’re proud of where you work, when you’re excited to have conversations with customers and co-workers, […]
The Postal Service wants area and district Election Mail and Political Mail coordinators to stay vigilant throughout this year’s election season. All USPS plants and customer service units are required to complete daily “all clear” reports two weeks before and one week after an election in their districts. Election Mail and Political Mail coordinators are […]
The Postal Service wants you to make workplace security a high priority, part of the organization’s effort to mark National Preparedness Month. You can help keep your workplace safe by securing your facility’s entry points when they’re not in use, always wearing your USPS photo ID badge, and keeping an eye out for strangers and […]
Rural Carrier Dewana Anderson was delivering mail on a recent afternoon in Scottsville, KY, when a 9-year-old boy flagged her down. Anderson stopped to assist the lad, Braden Spears, who told her he’d gotten off the school bus at his grandparents’ house, as planned, and found no one at home. Anderson comforted Spears and called […]
I like reading Link articles like “Fired up,” which covered the Dragons stamp dedication ceremony. […]
The Postal Service is getting help promoting Informed Delivery to younger consumers from some in-house experts: the organization’s summer interns. College students from across the nation are interning with USPS during a 10-week program this summer, part of the organization’s broader workforce development efforts. Several interns have been working on projects related to Informed Delivery, […]
Do you understand what “sampling” is and how it helps USPS measure its service performance? If not, here’s what you should know: • Sampling helps the Postal Service know how it’s performing. Because USPS scans millions of mailpieces each day, it would be tough to count each scan and use that information to determine service […]
USPS wants to have the current mailing address for all employees. If you need to update your information, five methods are available: • LiteBlue. Use any computer to go to liteblue.usps.gov and enter your employee identification number and password. Select the “Change of Address” option in the rotating carousel in the center of the page. Select “edit” […]
The Postal Inspection Service marked its 243rd birthday last week. Here are five facts about the organization and its employees. 1. The Inspection Service is one of the nation’s oldest law enforcement agencies. The organization traces its roots to Aug. 7, 1775, the earliest recorded date that William Goddard served as the first surveyor of […]
I submitted a suggestion to the IdeaSMART platform highlighted in “The right fit” and received a handwritten thank-you card from someone who read my proposal. It was a great feeling being acknowledged. […]
Retail Associate Jenny Mileski was on her way to work on a bitterly cold day in Wells, MI, earlier this year when she spotted a little girl sitting alone on a snow bank beside a busy highway. Mileski stopped to check on the child, who appeared to be around 9 years old and struggled to […]
The Postal Service is continuing to offer gopost lockers where customers can ship and receive packages. The latest gopost location, Pine Street Station in San Francisco, opened in July. USPS also operates gopost units in New York, New Jersey and Virginia. Each gopost unit contains dozens of secure lockers that customers can use to receive […]
The Postal Service has introduced HERO, a system that will allow you to manage your career development activities from a single online platform. Here’s what you should know: • HERO is one platform with multiple capabilities. You can use HERO to receive training, apply for job openings, enter performance goals and more. Hiring and other […]
Dragons, four stamps that celebrate the high-flying, fire-breathing creatures that have roamed imaginations for millennia, will be released Thursday, Aug. 9. The mythological creatures have appeared in legends and folklore in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and other parts of the world. They’re often described as lizard-like animals with four legs, sharp claws, scales, wings […]
To help mark the arrival of this year’s second United States Air Mail stamp, which will be issued Saturday, Aug. 11, here are five more facts about airmail service. 1. A “Flying Schoolgirl” was among the pioneering pilots. Katherine Stinson became the first woman to fly U.S. Mail when she dropped mailbags from her plane […]
I enjoyed “Intern-al affairs,” the article about the Postal Service’s summer interns. I’m glad students are learning about USPS. They’re our future. […]
Rural Carrier Tracey Johnson was recently delivering mail in a Ridgeland, MS, neighborhood when she spotted a little boy by himself alongside a street. He started crying when she stopped and asked him where his mother was. Johnson picked up the boy to comfort him while she called 911 and the local Post Office, and […]