A new Postal Service video offers an overview of the Hatch Act — and the potential consequences when the rules aren’t followed. The Hatch Act is a law that prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activity while on duty, while wearing a uniform, while on federal property or while inside a federal vehicle. The […]
To mark Public Service Recognition Week, which began May 6, here are five facts about USPS employees and the nation’s other civil servants. 1. USPS employs 644,000 public servants. The postal workforce includes approximately 166,000 letter carriers; 128,000 retail associates; 69,000 rural carriers; 31,000 building and equipment maintenance workers; 39,000 mail handlers; 8,000 motor vehicle […]
I absolutely loved “To honor his father,” the story about Memphis, TN, Lead Automotive Technician Melvin McCoy, who honored his father during the recent 50th anniversary commemoration of the historic Sanitation Workers’ Strike and March. We’ve come a long way as a nation. […]
A Postal Service customer in Royal Oak, MI, recently faced a dire situation: She lived alone and suffered a stroke that left her partially paralyzed and unable to get to a phone for nearly 24 hours. However, the woman knew that when her mail came, so would a chance to get help. She yelled out […]
The Link team is continuing to hear from readers who’ve stopped receiving emails from the USPS News Link account. Everyone with a postal email address should receive the following emails: Link, a compendium of recent stories that is sent each weekday Link Recap, a roundup of stories that readers might have overlooked that is sent […]
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month — an annual celebration of the nation’s 20 million Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders — began May 1. About 50,000 Postal Service employees identify as being Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. This represents approximately 7.9 percent of the USPS workforce. The organization celebrates the contributions of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders […]
Postal Service employees will collect donations for local pantries Saturday, May 12, during the 26th Annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive. Here are some facts from Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, along with information about Stamp Out Hunger. 1. Forty-two million people in the United States — or about 1 in 8 Americans […]
Letter Carrier Kun Kim was recently delivering mail in a San Antonio neighborhood when he saw customer Mark Hencke in his front yard. Everything seemed fine at first, then Hencke suddenly collapsed. Kim immediately called 911 and stayed with Hencke until emergency responders arrived. Soon after returning home from a 19-day hospital stay, the customer […]
Thank you for “Passing the torch,” the wonderful article about the family who ran the Youngsville, NM, Post Office for three generations. It’s so inspiring to see a positive story about women of color in the Postal Service. […]
Did you know you can adjust your Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) contributions at any time? You don’t have to wait for the annual open season benefits enrollment period to make changes to your account with TSP, the retirement savings plan for federal employees. To view or adjust your TSP contributions, use PostalEASE on LiteBlue. You’ll […]
Joseph Dlask recently received a surprise from his manager: A thank-you note. Sharon Turner-Hall, an address management systems manager for Great Lakes Area’s Central Illinois District, pulled aside Dlask and presented him with the personalized card to express her appreciation for his work. “She told me she couldn’t do it without me,” said Dlask, a […]
You know science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are important to the nation’s future, but do you understand why? To help you learn more about the subjects of the new STEM Education stamps, here are five facts from the Pew Research Center. 1. The STEM workforce is growing. As of 2016, 17.3 million workers ages […]
Are you sprinting? The Sprint to 10 Million Challenge, an initiative to sign up new users for Informed Delivery, is underway. The goal is to have 10 million Informed Delivery users by Sunday, May 6, when this year’s National Postal Forum begins. Informed Delivery currently has about 9 million users. Informed Delivery is a free feature […]
Kade Bambrough likes a challenge. This is why the Roy, UT, Postmaster is urging his employees to help USPS generate sales leads by talking with customers about the organization’s products and services. “After one of our daily safety huddles, I challenged everyone to get just one lead,” Bambrough said. “I explained to my co-workers that […]
The “Heroes’ corner” story about Salmon, ID, Postmaster Michael Farnworth, who delivered the burial dress to a woman whose newborn daughter died, made me cry. […]
Mail Processing Clerk Michael Kuszewski was on duty recently in Worcester, MA, when a co-worker became ill. The man collapsed, suffering a head injury that left him bleeding profusely. While 911 was called, another colleague located Kuszewski — who also has EMT training — and enlisted his help, which he did not hesitate to provide. […]
Do you understand the differences between the traditional and Roth Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) options available to Postal Service employees? If not, here’s what you should know: • Traditional contributions are made pretax. Your contributions are deducted before federal, state and other applicable taxes. This type of contribution is taxed at the time of withdrawal. […]
Youngsville, NM, is one of the state’s tiniest communities, an unincorporated area of roughly 55 residents about an hour’s drive north of Santa Fe. But the Youngsville Post Office has quite a story to tell. Three generations of women from the same family ran the office from 1945-2012. (The usps.com Postmaster Finder has a complete […]
To help mark Earth Day, which is Sunday, April 22, here are five ways the Postal Service helps the planet. 1. USPS uses the power of the sun. The Los Angeles Processing and Distribution Center has a solar power generation system comprised of 31,000 solar panels. This makes the center the city’s largest postal facility […]
The “Game on” article illustrates what the Postal Service needs: caring leadership and employees who take ownership. […]
Jane and Glenn Bills of Blue River, OR, have more in common than being married. They’re both highway contract route drivers for the Postal Service, and they both recently went out of their way to help others in moments of need. Jane had stopped to fuel up while delivering mail. The attendant fell while operating […]
The Postal Service wants employees to remember that USB ports on work computers shouldn’t be used to charge personal devices. Plugging smartphones, tablets, wearable technology and other gadgets into USPS equipment violates Postal Service policy and puts the organization’s data at risk. The CyberSafe at USPS team offers the following tips: • Use wall outlets […]
The Postal Service is stepping up its efforts to promote Informed Delivery, the free feature that allows consumers to digitally preview their incoming mail and manage their packages from computers, tablets and mobile devices. The organization has launched the Sprint to 10 Million Challenge, an initiative to reach 10 million users before this year’s National […]
USPS will conduct its next Postal Pulse employee survey from Tuesday, May 22-Friday, June 22. The survey was slated to begin a few weeks earlier, but the Postal Service moved the dates to a period when employees are more likely to have time to participate. “May is a busy time for our employees, especially those […]
Kudos to Worcester, MA, Letter Carrier John Magliaro for his commitment to representing the Postal Service in a positive way. […]
Letter carriers Grady Sharps and Jalel Fykes recently crossed paths while delivering mail at a Charlotte, NC, shopping center. As they exchanged pleasantries, a shout pierced the air: “Call 911! My husband passed out!” Sharps and Fykes soon spotted the shoppers who were in crisis — a man and a woman desperate for help at […]
Do you know why it’s important to maximize your Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) account throughout your Postal Service career? Your annuity and Social Security alone won’t be enough to replace your current income in retirement, so making TSP contributions throughout your career can help you fill retirement gaps. Here are some things to keep in […]
Tivoli Wiley loves mail — and hates missing it when she’s on the go. This is why the Redway, CA, retail associate recently signed up for Informed Delivery, the free feature that allows users to digitally preview their incoming mail and manage their packages from computers, tablets and mobile devices. “I signed up so I […]
A new video features highlights from the recent dedication of the Illinois Statehood stamp. “Just like Illinois, this commemorative stamp will stay with us in Illinois forever,” says Acting Chief Customer and Marketing Officer Jacqueline Krage Strako, who led the ceremony. The Illinois stamp — the 21st entry in the Statehood series — commemorates the […]
To help mark National Card and Letter Writing Month in April, here’s a list of five letters that helped shape our world. 1. Albert Einstein’s letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1939, Roosevelt, then president, received a letter from Einstein warning of a potential nuclear threat from Germany’s Third Reich. The letter prompted Roosevelt to […]