What’s UMS?
The Utility Management System (UMS) centralizes the tracking, payment and review of utility bills. UMS also records monthly energy consumption data for large facilities. […]
Mike Milligan
Posts by Mike Milligan
University of Illinois at Chicago Alumni magazine writer Jamie Malanowski
“Stamps make history come alive.” […]
Read More… from University of Illinois at Chicago Alumni magazine writer Jamie Malanowski
Elena Neely, Santa Clarita, CA
Postal employee Michael Raymer’s retirement letter demonstrates how the mail touches people’s lives. […]
Top speed
The Postal Service’s new package-sorting equipment continues to exceed expectations, especially at one California facility where parcels are being sorted faster than ever. The Los Angeles International Service Center (ISC), one of a handful of plants in the nation to have the new Small Parcel Sorting System (SPSS), recently achieved a breakthrough performance. The ISC’s machine […]
Match point
Since 2015 has 27 pay periods — one more than usual — some employees may need to adjust their Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) contributions to avoid missing part of the Postal Service’s 5 percent match. This may apply to you if you’re approaching the IRS annual limit of $18,000. To find out, check the current […]
Fancy footwork
Greentown, PA, Retail Associate Terri Clemens is on her feet every day, but lately she’s been kicking off her postal blues and putting on her dancing shoes at night. Clemens recently participated in “Dancing Like the Stars,” a fundraiser to help combat kidney disease. She isn’t an experienced dancer, so she spent hours practicing and […]
Good business
One of the nation’s largest Hispanic groups has honored the Postal Service for its efforts to do business with supply firms owned by Hispanic Americans. The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce inducted the Postal Service and several other top organizations into its Million Dollar Club at a ceremony in Houston Sept. 22. The club is […]
LMS progress reports
District and area administrators can use the Learning Management System (LMS) to get a learner’s completion status for all courses in a program. Enter the employee’s ID number, select the current reporting period, enter a course program number and select execute. […]
Anthony Salins, Norman, OK
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, I was working for the Postal Service in New Orleans. Residents were happy when the Post Office opened. One resident said, “If USPS is back, then we know everything will be all right.” […]
Mayagüez, PR, Letter Carrier Elyjack Reyes
“[My best times on the job are] when a customer asks for something and I give them what they want.” […]
Jeffery McCrary, Moulton, AL
Today’s hero is a full-length story. […]
Scanning scorecard
Western Area and Northland District continued to lead the scanning performance standings during the week ending Sept. 18. With a rating of 97.4 percent, Western maintained its long winning streak among the areas. Capital Metro (96.97 percent) rose from third to second place, while Eastern (96.64 percent) ended the week in third. Western’s Northland District, […]
Returning favorites
The Postal Service will offer several holiday stamps this year, including recent favorites and new releases. Stamps based on “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will be issued Oct. 1, followed later in the month by Geometric Snowflakes. Post Office customers also will be able to purchase the following stamps from previous years: Virgin and Child by Gossaert (2013) […]
Heroes’ corner
Moulton, AL, Letter Carrier Jeffery McCrary was delivering mail inside an apartment building recently when he heard a woman calling for help. McCrary ran to an apartment and found fire coming from a stove and climbing a wall. Knowing water isn’t the best way to fight a grease fire, McCrary used salt to extinguish the […]
Positive outcomes
The Postal Service has created guidelines to help employees better assist customers with product or service complaints. A copy of the Complaint Handling Guidelines was mailed to every Postmaster in September. The guidelines also are available online. Employees should view complaints as opportunities to restore consumer confidence in the Postal Service, according to the guidelines. […]
Marsha Kushmer, Tampa, FL
Way to go, Ben Lovato and Jim Kimber, for keeping the firefighters out west connected to their loved ones back home. […]
Phishing
Phishing — attempts to steal IDs, passwords and other sensitive information from an employee or consumer — are prevalent online. Visit the CyberSafe at USPS site on Blue for tips to identify and avoid phishing scams. […]
Merrifield, VA, Custodian Jesse Keenon
“I take great pride in my work and I encourage [every employee to do the same].” […]
Vote of confidence
Direct mail remains a valuable method for political candidates to reach voters, even in the age of emails and texting, top strategists say. “In a world with so much other distraction, direct mail is becoming more effective not less,” consultant Andy Yates writes in a new essay for the Campaigns & Elections news site. Yates quotes […]
Don’t wait, communicate
Disasters can occur at any time, so it’s important to know how you and your family members will contact each other afterwards. Experts offer these tips: Complete a contact card for each adult family member. Keep the cards in a wallet or purse. Also, complete cards for children and put the cards in their backpacks […]
Song goes on
Not long ago, several Postal Service districts had choirs or bands. The tradition has mostly faded — but not in Philadelphia District. The Philadelphia Postal Choir sings at a variety of events, particularly around the holidays. The choir also serenaded PMG Megan Brennan at an event earlier this year. The choir traces its roots to 1985, when […]
Heroes’ corner
Peter Pontzer, an administrative law judge for the Postal Service, was vacationing with his family along the North Carolina coast in July when two teenage swimmers became caught in rough waves. Pontzer grabbed a buoy and swam out to assist another rescuer. They recovered a 13-year-old-boy and brought him safely back to shore. They then […]
Richmond, VA, Customer Services Supervisor Eddie Smith
“I’m serious about scanning and I make sure employees I supervise are serious about it too. Customers want it, they pay for it and expect it, and they deserve it.” […]
Read More… from Richmond, VA, Customer Services Supervisor Eddie Smith
Mary Schroller, Bremen, KS
I loved the Charlie Brown holiday stamps story. I can’t wait to get them in my office. […]
Streaming videos
Most employees can’t view external videos on postal computers. However, employees can watch videos posted inside the firewall. Go to USPS-TV for a list of these videos. […]
Safe and secure
As the anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the Postal Service reminds employees to remain vigilant about workplace security. You can help keep your workplace secure by always wearing your ID badge and locking building doors to prevent unauthorized entry. Locked doors are occasionally opened to let employees and mail in and out. At all other times, […]
Heroes’ corner
Detroit Letter Carrier Evangeline Johnson was delivering mail recently when she noticed smoke coming from the back of a house. “Something didn’t feel right,” said Johnson. She rushed into the backyard and saw the rear of the home was engulfed in flames. Johnson called 911 and knocked on the door to alert the residents. The […]
Delivered by sea
A retired German postal worker recently discovered the world’s oldest message in a bottle while vacationing off the northern European coast. Marianne Winkler and her husband found the bottle while walking along Amrum Island in the North Sea. The bottle contained a postcard promising a reward of one shilling if returned to the Marine Biological […]
Picking up
More retailers are allowing online shoppers to pick up their orders in stores, a practice that appeals to consumers who want to avoid shipping costs. Forty-one percent of retailers offer in-store pickup services, but the number is expected to almost double during the next three years, according to a recent survey by Boston Retail Partners. […]
Mobile devices
If you have a Postal Service mobile device, you must configure the settings to enable the passcode lock and auto-lock options. For assistance, call the Information Technology help desk at 800-877-7435. Follow the instructions, then say “technical assistance” and “mobile device” when prompted. […]