Jennifred Jones, Wingate, IN
I liked the “On the Job” profile of David Howard, a Dulles, VA, electronic technician. It’s always interesting to learn about different aspects of the Postal Service and how employees contribute the organization. […]
Mike Milligan
Posts by Mike Milligan
FSA update
Postal Service employees who participate in flexible spending accounts (FSAs) can make changes during a 60-day period that began July 1 and ends Aug. 29. FSA Feds, the organization that administers FSAs, is allowing changes due to the coronavirus pandemic, although participants don’t need to be directly affected by the coronavirus to make changes. Additionally, […]
Socially acceptable
The Postal Service is reminding employees that they are required to abide by the Hatch Act, including the guidelines for using social media — even while working from home. Here’s a quick recap of the law: • The Hatch Act exists to keep politics out of federal workplaces. The law, passed in 1939, limits certain […]
NPF summer series
The Postal Service and the National Postal Forum (NPF) will host five free one-hour weekly webinars for business customers. USPS officers will lead the sessions, which will address a range of topics and feature special guests. The first webinar will be held Thursday, July 23, from 2-3 p.m. and feature Marketing Vice President Steve Monteith’s […]
Scanning snapshot
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 96.87 percent during the week ending July 17, down slightly from one week earlier. Western led the seven areas with a 97.53 percent score, with Pacific bringing up the rear with a 96.47 percent rating. Among the 67 districts, Dakotas (98.76 percent) finished first and Caribbean […]
Martha Carson, Guysville, OH
“The List” of fruit and vegetable facts was enjoyable and enlightening. I’ll continue to eat strawberries and bananas no matter how they’re classified, but I’ll still avoid bell peppers and broccoli. […]
Helping out
Postal Service employees donated more than $45,000 to charities during a special Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) solicitation to aid charities affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management, which runs the campaign, offered the solicitation from April to June to support organizations facing operational challenges due to the health crisis. In addition […]
Customer service
The Postal Service will soon release email improvements for its Customer 360 platform. Known as C360, the system shows when, where and how often a customer has previously contacted the Postal Service for help, and it integrates other applications to help address customers’ inquiries faster. The coming enhancements aim to improve visibility and promote collaboration […]
Savor the flavor
The Postal Service will celebrate the wholesome bounty of American produce when it releases its Fruits and Vegetables stamps Friday, July 17. The Forever stamps feature 10 still life paintings of fruit and vegetable arrangements: red and black plums, heirloom and cherry tomatoes, carrots, lemons, blueberries, red and green grapes, lettuces, strawberries, eggplants and figs. […]
Scanning snapshot
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 96.92 percent during the week ending July 10, an uptick from the 96.84 percent score one week earlier. Among the seven areas, Western (97.57 percent) finished first and Great Lakes (96.06 percent) finished last. The leader among the 67 districts was Dakotas (98.73 percent), with Caribbean […]
Pump up the volume
The Postal Service dedicated its Hip Hop stamps last week during a virtual ceremony that focused on the music, dance and art movement’s profound cultural influence. The nine-minute event featured hip-hop pioneer Kurtis Blow, who recalled the movement’s electrifying origins in African American and African Caribbean neighborhoods in New York City during the 1970s. “As […]
Fresh insights
USPS is making two changes to the Postal Pulse survey, aiming to get fresh insights into employee engagement in the organization’s workplaces. Starting with the next survey, which is slated to occur from Aug. 4-Sept. 4, the Postal Pulse will feature an additional statement: “My immediate supervisor has recently spent one-on-one time with me to […]
Tuition discount
Cardinal Stritch University is offering Postal Service employees a 20 percent discount on tuition. The discount, which is available for both undergraduate and graduate degree programs, is designed to help USPS employees take their education to the next level. Cardinal Stritch is based in Milwaukee and offers a variety of online programs. The university’s website […]
Tools of the trade
The Postal Service wants employees to know about online resources available to help them accept, process and deliver ballots and political mailpieces during this year’s elections. The Election and Political Mail 2020 Blue page has an interactive map that allows employees to find the names and contact information for each state’s election and political mail […]
Scanning snapshot
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating slipped to 96.84 percent during the week ending July 3, down from 97.07 percent one week earlier. Scores declined in all seven areas. The top area was Western with a 97.43 percent rating, while Great Lakes finished seventh with a 95.57 percent score. Among the 67 districts, […]
Spangled star
Postal Service employees who tune into NBC’s coverage of New York City’s Independence Day fireworks display will see one of their own. Kelly Mathaw, a Detroit letter carrier who appeared on “Live with Kelly and Ryan” in the spring to discuss her role as an essential public worker during the coronavirus pandemic, will appear on […]
Scanning snapshot
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.07 percent during the week ending June 26, up from one week earlier. Among the seven areas, Western led with a rating of 97.6 percent. The leader among the 67 districts was Dakotas, which had a 98.89 percent rating. The week’s biggest gainer was Los Angeles […]
Zoom reset
The Postal Service is alerting Zoom users that their accounts will soon be deleted and they will be required to sign back into the application to continue to schedule meetings. The reset will occur in stages from July 6-12. Meeting schedulers will be alerted by email when their account is being reset so they can […]
Essential information
USPS wants every employee and contractor to continue to carry the essential service provider letter that the organization issued this year. The letter explains that the Postal Service is part of the nation’s critical infrastructure and is continuing normal operations during the coronavirus pandemic as well as the civil unrest occurring in many communities. Additionally, […]
Board of Governors
The U.S. Senate has confirmed two nominees to the Postal Service Board of Governors. The Senate confirmed William Zollars and Donald Lee Moak to each serve on the board for the remainder of seven-year terms expiring Dec. 8, 2022. “We are pleased that the Senate has confirmed Bill Zollars and Lee Moak as governors,” said […]
Preparing for the unexpected
The Postal Service has developed a new tool to help managers at mail processing plants prepare for unexpected events — such as the coronavirus pandemic — before they affect mail processing and delivery. The COVID-19 IVES Rest of Day Available Employee Projection Report gathers data from several sources including Time and Attendance Control System information, […]
Bright and bold
The latest “Thank You for the Thank-You’s” video highlights more messages from customers who are finding creative ways to show gratitude for USPS during the coronavirus pandemic. There’s a glimpse of brightly hand-lettered signs in a window that form the phrase “Thank you mail carriers.” That’s soon followed by a boldly spray-painted banner attached to […]
Scanning snapshot
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 96.99 percent during the week ending June 19, down from 97.01 percent one week earlier. Western led the seven areas with a rating of 97.57 percent, while Dakotas topped the 67 districts with a 98.91 percent rating. The week’s top gainer was Colorado/Wyoming District, which ranked […]
Stamp Out Hunger
Stamp Out Hunger will occur online this year, beginning this week. The annual campaign traditionally allows Postal Service employees to collect food donations that are then distributed to food banks and pantries. The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) usually organizes the drive on the second Saturday of May, but this year’s event was postponed […]
Beware of dog
The Postal Service is marking National Dog Bite Awareness Week with a new video to help customers guard against attacks. The 50-second animated video, “USPS Dog Bite Awareness,” shows a letter carrier delivering to homes where dog owners are taking proper precautions to restrain their pets. The video reminds customers to secure dogs in another […]
Top tools
To mark USPS National Dog Bite Awareness Week, the Postal Service is educating employees and customers about some safety features that can help reduce attacks. The features include: • Mobile Delivery Devices (MDDs). Letter carriers, rural carriers and others use these handheld scanners to confirm customer deliveries. MDDs have a feature that allows carriers to […]
Talking … and listening
Juneteenth, an annual celebration of the end of slavery in the United States, is taking on added significance this year amid the nationwide protests regarding racial injustice. The commemoration traces its roots to June 19, 1865, the day that Union soldiers told enslaved African Americans in Galveston, TX, that the Civil War had ended and […]
Scanning snapshot
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.01 percent during the week ending June 12, up from one week earlier. Western led the seven areas with a rating of 97.41 percent. The only area that improved its score from the previous week was Pacific, which ranked fifth with a 96.97 percent rating, up […]
Preventing cancer
Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar on the relationship between cancer prevention and dietary choices. The session, “Myths and Facts About Diet and Cancer Prevention,” will be held Wednesday, June 17, at noon EDT. Blue Cross Blue Shield will conduct the webinar, which will show participants how to make educated decisions about […]
Scanning snapshot
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 96.78 percent during the week ending June 5, down from one week earlier. Western led the seven areas with a rating of 97.32 percent, while Dakotas dominated the 67 districts with a 98.8 percent rating. No area improved its score from week to week. Only a […]