Scanning snapshot. A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 96.89 percent during the week ending Sept. 25, down about two-tenths of a point from one week earlier. The data was collected Sept. 30. Central led the four areas with a rating of 97.21 percent, followed by Atlantic and Western-Pacific (97.04 […]
USPS has released Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s video message for this week’s National Postal Customer Council Day. The annual event, which occurred online this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, highlights the nation’s 144 postal customer councils (PCCs), local groups that allow USPS and business mailers to come together to build relationships, address common concerns […]
The Postal Service will release Holiday Delights, stamps that are inspired by folk art but with a modern graphic vibe, on Thursday, Sept. 24. Illustrator Kirsten Ulve used a traditional palette of red, green and white, and channeled her love of Christmas, vintage ornaments and Scandinavian folk art to create unique digital illustrations of four […]
The USPS Wellness team wants to help employees learn the differences between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, two conditions that affect the brain. Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disorder that irreversibly affects the health of the brain, causing a decline in memory, reasoning and daily living. Dementia is a collective term to describe a group of diseases […]
A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 96.9 percent during the week ending Sept. 18, down almost three-tenths of a point from one week earlier. The data was collected Sept. 23. Western-Pacific led the four areas with a rating of 97.25 percent, followed by Central (97.09 percent), Atlantic (96.88 percent) […]
Mike Spates — the beloved postal retiree whose recent death was reported in “A ‘selfless’ leader” — was one of the most down-to-earth people you’d ever meet. He was personable, professional, compassionate, thoughtful and empathetic — everything a true leader should be. […]
Dr. Elaine Ferguson remembers the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. In late February, headlines everywhere were dominated by the outbreak in Seattle, the first hot spot in the United States. Ferguson, the Postal Service’s associate medical director, was monitoring the situation closely. She wasn’t alone. “We had a lot of concerned employees. There were […]
Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor, a stamp honoring the 400th anniversary of a journey that has echoed throughout U.S. history, will arrive in Post Offices on Thursday, Sept. 17. On Dec. 16, 1620, 102 English passengers — referred to as Puritan Separatists — boarded the Mayflower in Plymouth, England, to take what became a perilous, stormy […]
The Postal Service is reminding employees to be cautious of wildfires like those occurring this month in California, Oregon and Washington. Wildfires — which can happen anywhere, anytime — often are sparked by human activity or lightning strikes. They can spread quickly, particularly in areas experiencing hot weather conditions, high winds and little rain. To […]
Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar to learn how to deal with inflammation, a sign that your body is fighting harmful conditions. The session, “Fighting Inflammation Naturally,” will be held Tuesday, Sept. 22, at noon EDT. Coletta Meyer, a health and wellness manager for GEHA, a not-for-profit provider of health plans for […]
Scanning snapshot. A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 97.02 percent during the week ending Sept. 11, down 0.09 percent from one week earlier. The data was collected Sept. 16. Central led the four areas with a rating of 97.26 percent, followed by Atlantic (97.06 percent), Western-Pacific (96.98 percent) and […]
The hand-drawn pictures of letter carriers featured in the latest “Thank You for the Thank-You’s” video are too cute. They should be made into stamps. […]
The Postal Service will resume sales of the Alzheimer’s semipostal fundraising stamp Oct. 5 following a rule change announced last week. The Semipostal Authorization Act grants the Postal Service authority to issue and sell semipostal fundraising stamps to advance causes deemed to be “in the national public interest and appropriate.” Before the rule change, the […]
The Postal Service has introduced an updated training course required for all business system owners. The course is intended for employees who are functional coordinators for various USPS systems, such as the Time and Attendance Collection System and VPN Access, and will show participants how to protect these resources from cyberthreats. The System Owner Essentials […]
Do you know about survivor benefits and how they work? You can make one of the following survivor benefit elections to occur in the event of your death: No survivor benefits Full or partial annuity for spouse Full or partial annuity for former spouse Combination of full or partial annuity for a spouse and former […]
A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 96.85 percent during the week ending Sept. 4, down two-tenths of a point from one week earlier. The data was collected Sept. 9. Western-Pacific led the four areas with a rating of 97.03 percent, followed by Central (97.02 percent), Southern (96.71 percent) and […]
USPS is offering a promotion on greeting cards at select Post Office locations. Customers and employees will save $1 when they purchase two Hallmark cards. Available wherever Hallmark greeting cards are sold, the promotion began Aug. 24 and will continue through Sept. 27. The promotion, part of a Postal Service awareness campaign, is also intended […]
“Paying benefits,” the article advising employees to update their life insurance beneficiary forms, hit home. Since March, our family has buried several loved ones. Those whose insurance records were in order allowed grieving to be peaceful. Those who didn’t left additional challenges for their families. […]
The Postal Service’s Business Connect program has surpassed $4 billion in total revenue since its creation, the fourth sales milestone the organization has achieved this year. Business Connect, which began in 2005, is the Postal Service’s lead-sharing program for Postmasters, managers and supervisors. A recent example of a Business Connect sales lead: Aline Conrad, officer […]
The Postal Service is offering PO Box customers an opportunity to sign up online for Informed Delivery, the free USPS feature that allows users to digitally preview their mail and manage their incoming packages. When customers purchase a new PO Box or renew one using the Post Office Box online tool, they’ll have an option […]
The Postal Service’s HERO platform has added a wide selection of self-development courses to help employees sharpen their professional skills or develop personally. Approximately 3,200 self-development courses are offered through the learning portal at no cost. Covering everything from self-improvement to technical applications, each course allows employees to learn at their own pace. To find […]
The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 96.8 percent during the week ending Aug. 28, down about one-third of 1 percent from one week earlier. The data, collected Sept. 2, also shows the scanning ratings for the organization’s newly created geographic areas. Under an internal restructuring announced last month, USPS consolidated its seven areas to […]
The Aug. 17 “Best Practices” column was a good reminder to start hydrating early to avoid heat-related illnesses. When I was in the military, soldiers were routinely instructed to do this. Heat casualties affect the mission, whether it’s defending the country or delivering mail. […]
The coronavirus pandemic has cast postal workers as heroes in the eyes of the American people, who have expressed appreciation for their service during the public health crisis. These workers have heroes, too: the custodians who toil behind the scenes to keep Post Offices, processing plants and other facilities clean and safe. “People don’t want […]
The Postal Service honored several industry leaders with awards during a series of National Postal Forum webinars this month. The Informed Innovation Award recognizes companies that create compelling Informed Delivery campaigns. Winners of this award — State Farm Insurance, Citibank and Macy’s — used new technology to drive growth and proved that mail combined with […]
The Postal Service wants employees to have up-to-date beneficiary forms for life insurance and other benefits. While completing a beneficiary form is not mandatory, doing so allows an employee to choose who will receive payment. If an employee does not name a beneficiary, payment will be made to the next of kin according to a […]
USPS is offering more savings on gift card purchases. At select Post Office locations from Aug. 22-Sept. 4, customers and employees will receive $3.95 off the purchase fee of Visa gift cards valued at $100. Variable load gift cards are excluded. No coupon is needed. […]
The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 96.62 percent during the week ending Aug. 21, down slightly from one week earlier. Among the seven areas, Western ranked first with a 97.04 percent rating, while Capital Metro finished last with a 96.27 percent score. Western Pennsylvania (98.43 percent) led the 67 districts, with Caribbean (86.52 percent) […]
Letter Carrier Susan Pineault was recently delivering mail at an apartment complex in Keene, NH, when she heard someone yelling for help. Pineault spotted an older woman who had fallen inside her unit and managed to crawl to a sliding glass door and open it slightly in hopes of getting assistance. The Postal Service employee […]
The Postal Service has introduced an Election Mail website, part of the organization’s ongoing effort to ensure that voters and election officials have the information they need to successfully use the U.S. Mail to vote in this year’s general elections. Many states are expanding mail-in voting options this year, and there will likely be a […]