The Postal Service has added new Texas locations to the USPS Connect Local pilot, which helps businesses and organizations provide local-to-local same-day and next-day package delivery at affordable rates. The program, which launched July 19 with four locations in Houston and three in Dallas, has added 10 sites in each area, for a total of […]
The Postal Service will celebrate popular games played by Americans of all ages when it releases its Backyard Games stamps on Aug. 12. The pane of 16 Forever stamps features eight designs illustrating badminton, bocce, cornhole, croquet, flying disc, horseshoes, tetherball and pick-up baseball. Each design emphasizes movement and is intended to evoke the nostalgic […]
Scanning snapshot. A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 97.01 percent during the week ending Aug. 6, down 0.19 percent from one week earlier. The data was collected Aug. 11. Western Pacific led the four areas with a rating of 97.16 percent, while Atlantic ranked last with a 96.79 percent […]
USPS is reminding facilities that hazardous chemicals must be prevented from entering stormwater drains and waterways. The organization’s “zero discharge” policy requires facilities to control the pollutants that enter the environment. Under the policy, facilities must: • Promptly address spills and report environmental spills with PS Form 8187, Hazardous and Regulated Substance Release Notification. • […]
Link’s headlines often amuse me, but “That’s so Raven” — the headline for the article highlighting the Raven Story stamp’s release — made me laugh out loud. […]
Scanning snapshot. A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 97.03 percent during the week ending July 30, down 0.16 percent from one week earlier. The data was collected Aug. 4. Central led the four areas with a rating of 97.19 percent, while Atlantic ranked last with a 96.81 percent rating. […]
The Postal Service has introduced Photo Services Only, an option for customers who just need a full face, passport-sized image taken — and not necessarily a first-time passport. The service costs $15. Each Photo Services Only appointment takes approximately five minutes, per customer. Customers can now schedule for a first-time passport application appointment, a first-time […]
Joshua D. Colin was named chief retail and delivery officer last week, overseeing more than 430,000 employees who help the Postal Service accept and deliver mail and packages. Colin, who has acted in the role since June, “has done an excellent job taking the helm,” Postmaster General Louis DeJoy wrote in a memo announcing the […]
“The big picture” article, which featured an image of the 1973 stamps celebrating Postal Service employees, made me think it’s time to release stamps showing how we serve the public today. […]
The Postal Service is reminding employees who process the organization’s sensitive information that their assigned cybersecurity training courses must be completed soon. These employees have been assigned one of the following two courses in HERO: • CyberSafe Fundamentals, which provides instructions on how to adhere to cybersecurity practices and policy to protect USPS electronic information; […]
Scanning snapshot. A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 97.06 percent during the week ending July 23, down 0.03 percent from one week earlier. The data was collected July 28. Western Pacific led the four areas with a rating of 97.24 percent, while Atlantic ranked last with a 96.79 percent […]
Postmasters and customer services managers will soon receive a Business Connect kit that offers strategies for promoting USPS products and services to small businesses. The kits, which will be mailed around July 29, contain a welcome letter, an information sheet, a quick reference card and a tear pad. “Now is the time to show small […]
While the Postal Service has more than 230,000 vehicles in its delivery fleet today, until 1970, most letter carriers delivered mail on foot. “They didn’t have no trucks when we started. When I started, you went to your route on the bus,” recalled Alfonzo T. Wilson Jr., a Cleveland letter carrier who began his postal […]
In mid-2020, as he was recovering from a near-fatal case of COVID-19, Mark Mothersbaugh found himself bristling at some of the anti-Postal Service rhetoric being bandied about at the time. “We weren’t hearing anybody speaking up for the Post Office, so we said, ‘Well dang it, we’re gonna do it,’” said Mothersbaugh, best known as […]
Scanning snapshot. A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 96.93 percent during the week ending July 16, down about a quarter of a point from one week earlier. The data was collected July 21. Central led the four areas with a rating of 97.19 percent, while Atlantic ranked last with […]
Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar to learn about the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program and Medicare. The session, “USPS: Medicare + FEHB,” will be held Monday, July 26, at noon EDT. Brian Sperling and Mickey Basi, senior account managers for GEHA, a not-for-profit provider of health plans for federal employees, […]
The Postal Service has updated Handbook AS-805, Information Security, which details the organization’s security policies for technology assets and information resources. The updates include several new topics, including: • The Executive Cyber Risk Committee, which evaluates and monitors cyber risk management activities and their alignment with the overall corporate risk profile; • Contractual security agreements […]
The new Postal Service ride-on vehicle for children is the cutest thing ever. I wish I could have bought this when my teenagers were little kids. […]
Scanning snapshot. A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 97.03 percent during the week ending July 9, down 0.14 percent from one week earlier. The data was collected July 14. Central led the four areas with a rating of 97.28 percent, while Atlantic ranked last with a 96.79 percent rating. […]
Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar on preparing for retirement. The session, “Retirement 101,” will be held Thursday, July 22, at noon EDT. A representative from Aetna will conduct the webinar, which will provide a better understanding of how your health benefits might work nationwide and overseas. You’ll also learn about tools […]
The Postal Service is reminding employees that they aren’t permitted to misuse their position for the benefit of themselves, relatives or friends. Doing so erodes the Postal Service’s reputation for trustworthiness and integrity and damages the USPS brand. Employees may not use their postal position for the benefit of others they are affiliated with in […]
The Postal Service expects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2030, compared with 2019 levels, according to the latest USPS Annual Sustainability Report. The report, released this month, highlights examples of the organization’s efforts to become more sustainable, such as the recent installation of 13,000 solar panels — capable of generating enough electricity […]
Scanning snapshot. A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 96.99 percent during the week ending July 2, down almost one-quarter of a point from one week earlier. The data was collected July 7. Western Pacific led the four areas with a rating of 97.24 percent, while Atlantic ranked last with […]
The Postal Service wants to remind employees of the importance of complying with the rules regarding financial conflicts of interest. The public may lose confidence in USPS if they believe employees’ work is influenced by their own personal interests. Federal law prohibits government employees from taking part in matters in which they have a personal […]
The Postal Service’s next stamp will shine a spotlight on tap dancing, an art form that is equally at home on the world’s most prestigious performance stages and everyday urban streets. The Tap Dance stamps, which will be released on July 10, will feature five photographs of different dancers performing against brightly colored backdrops. Ethel […]
The Postal Service and Kid Trax, a top toymaker, have created a licensed USPS ride-on vehicle for children. The vehicle, which looks like a mail delivery truck, is geared toward kids ages 3 to 5 and will be available for purchase through Amazon and the Kid Trax website, beginning July 13. The suggested retail price […]
I loved reading “Pay it forward” and “Golden eagle,” the articles about the Postal Service’s history. […]
The Postal Service is reminding employees that waste aerosol cans must be stored and disposed of properly. These cans are a potential safety and environmental hazard because they may contain unused chemical products and propellant. Aerosol cans that contain unused liquid or propellants must never be disposed of in the regular trash. Non-empty aerosol cans […]
The Postal Service is offering a special pictorial postmark to celebrate the organization’s 50th anniversary. President Richard Nixon signed the Postal Reorganization Act on Aug. 12, 1970, which transformed the Post Office Department into an independent agency called the United States Postal Service on July 1, 1971. The pictorial postmark says, “United States Postal Service […]
A letter carrier’s conversation with a customer has resulted in a shipping deal worth almost $7 million for the Postal Service. Joe Delmont of Bustleton Station, PA, was talking with the owner of a startup e-commerce fulfillment company, who had asked him about shipping assistance. After returning to his Post Office, Delmont entered information about […]