Want to know when you’ll be paid this year? The calendar image that accompanies this article shows the 26 paycheck dates for Postal Service employees. Every month this year will have two paydays, except for May and October, which will have three each. To print the calendar, click the image, then select “Download” under the […]
Link is looking back at the year in “Heroes’ Corner” with a countdown of the five most-viewed articles. Coming in at No. 1 is “Public defender,” the story of Bryan Thompson. The Chicago acting customer services supervisor bravely rushed to a co-worker’s defense when her former boyfriend gained access to the building and attacked her. […]
The Postal Service entered peak season during the final three months of 2019. In October, Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan dedicated the Holiday Wreaths stamps, and in November, USPS released this year’s holiday volume projections, which showed the organization will deliver 13 billion mailpieces, including 800 million packages, between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. USPS […]
If a picture is worth a thousand words, Link is a daily treasure trove. Here’s a roundup of some of the best images we published this year, including shots from stamp dedication ceremonies, workplace events and community activities. Select each thumbnail to see a larger version of the image. […]
You won’t hear anyone on the Link team utter the old showbiz adage, “Never work with children or animals.” We love stories about kids and critters — and so do our readers. The past year brought several opportunities to highlight how both bring out the best in all of us. In Kenosha, WI, a 12-year-old […]
This was another year in which Postal Service employees offered valuable peer-to-peer advice through Link’s “Best Practices” column. Here’s a roundup of some of the best tips: • Show customers you care. “If you don’t care about your job, it shows.” — Carmel, IN, Retail Associate Courtney Wells • Treat them with respect, too. “Help […]
Link is looking back at the year in “Heroes’ Corner” with a countdown of the five most-viewed articles. Coming in at No. 3 is “Out of order,” the story of Bertie Faulkner. The New Albany, IN, retail associate played a crucial role in helping authorities solve a case involving $2 money orders altered to appear […]
The Postal Service continued its focus on delivering excellent customer service and strong community outreach during the spring. In April, the organization rolled out Customer 360, a tool that helps employees resolve consumer inquiries faster, and opened the Mailing and Shipping Solutions Center to better serve commercial mailing and shipping customers. The following month, Gallup […]
Postal Service employees continued to go above and beyond for customers in 2019. Jeffery Miller, a general clerk at the Milwaukee Processing and Distribution Center, pulled out all the stops to locate a Priority Mail Express package containing the wedding ring for a customer — who also was his cousin. Lorenzo Games, an express clerk, […]
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.78 percent during the week ending Dec. 20, up from one week earlier. Great Lakes (98.09 percent) led the areas, while Dakotas (99.14 percent) topped the districts. Scanning allows customers to track their packages and mail, and it helps USPS improve efficiency and network management. To […]
Here’s a special year-end edition of Link’s weekly “News Quiz” feature. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. True or false: The price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp increased this year from 54 cents to 55 cents in 2019. a) True b) False 2. In April, USPS released its annual list of places […]
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.74 percent during the week ending Dec. 13, down from one week earlier. Western (98.08 percent) led the areas, while Dakotas (98.86 percent) topped the districts. Scanning allows customers to track their packages and mail, and it helps USPS improve efficiency and network management. To see […]
The Postal Service wants you to remember that counseling and other services are available during the holidays — and all year long — through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). If you need to talk to someone, you can call EAP’s toll-free number at 800-327-4968 (800-EAP-4YOU). The TTY number is 877-492-7341. Counselors are available 24 hours […]
The Postal Service recently released this year’s Spanish-language holiday TV commercials. The ads, titled “Entregamos la Navidad,” feature the employees and scenes shown in the English-language ad, “Bringing the Holidays Home,” that debuted last month. The new ad, available on the USPS YouTube channel and other platforms, features a Spanish-language rendition of the Christmas tune […]
The Postal Service emphasizes accurate scanning all year long, but especially during the busiest week of the holiday season. The organization predicts it will deliver almost 2.5 billion pieces of mail — including more than 28 million packages per day — from Dec. 16-21. The data generated by each scan allows customers to track their […]
The following message is from Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan: I want to thank you for serving the mailing and shipping needs of our customers and going the extra mile to deliver exceptional service this holiday season. The holidays are our busiest time of the year, and every member of the Postal Service workforce has […]
Laura Dowling has a special connection to the Postal Service’s new Holiday Wreaths stamps: She designed the wreaths herself. After USPS approached her to create the wreaths, Dowling — who served as the White House’s chief floral designer from 2009-2015 — began experimenting with different styles. She even got input from the letter carrier in […]
For Cross River, NY, Postmaster Clarence “Thomas” Carson, the holidays are a time to be with family, friends, colleagues and customers. It’s also a time for Carson — who spent much of his adult life homeless and addicted to drugs — to reflect on how far he has come and the special place the Postal […]
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.76 percent during the week ending Dec. 6, down from one week earlier. Great Lakes (98.07 percent) led the areas, while Dakotas (98.71 percent) topped the districts. Scanning allows customers to track their packages and mail, and it helps USPS improve efficiency and network management. To […]
A new video showcases USPS Electronic Signature Online, a new service available to Informed Delivery customers. The video explains that customers can use Informed Delivery to see when a package will arrive soon at their home, then use USPS Electronic Signature Online to apply their signature electronically. The new service is available for Priority Mail […]
USPS is offering a promotion on Mastercard gift cards at select Post Office locations. From Nov. 30-Dec. 13, employees and customers will receive $2 off the purchase fee of a Mastercard gift card valued at $50 or more. Variable load gift cards are excluded from this offer. No coupon is needed. […]
The Healing PTSD stamp will not only raise funds for those affected by post-traumatic stress disorder, the semipostal offering will also help lift the stigma surrounding the condition, postal leaders and others said at the Dec. 2 dedication ceremony. “Whether or not you realize it, you probably know someone who’s suffering from PTSD. … Tens […]
In a new video, Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan and the leaders of the postal unions and management associations discuss the importance of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). Each year, federal employees can contribute to more than 7,000 charities through the CFC. The Postal Service’s contribution goal for the current cycle, which runs through Jan. […]
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.77 percent during the week ending Nov. 29, down from one week earlier. Western (97.98 percent) led the areas, while Dakotas (99.05 percent) topped the districts. Scanning allows customers to track their packages and mail, and it helps USPS improve efficiency and network management. To see […]
The Postal Service has new resources to help employees manage their holiday experiences. The USPS Employee Assistance Program (EAP) has created a series of 13 “Here Come the Holidays” informational sheets that each address a different topic, such as reducing stress, dealing with grief and maintaining energy levels. “The holiday season is the busiest time […]
The Postal Service wants employees to remember to use PostalEASE to enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) or the USPS Health Benefits Plan (USPSHBP). You can access PostalEASE from the Benefits Enrollment Changes section of the Open Season LiteBlue page or by calling the employee service line at 877-477-3273 (select option 1). The Federal Relay […]
Letter Carrier Arthur Watley Jr. was recently delivering mail in a Concord, NC, neighborhood when he heard someone yelling for help. Watley soon discovered a customer lying on muddy ground in her backyard, in need of emergency assistance. Because the woman said she had activated a medical alert device 20 minutes earlier, the Postal Service […]
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.87 percent during the week ending Nov. 22, up from one week earlier. Western (98.13 percent) led the areas, while Dakotas (99.09 percent) topped the districts. Scanning allows customers to track their packages and mail, and it helps USPS improve efficiency and network management. To see […]
Do you have questions about high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), one of the options available during this year’s open season? Here’s what you should know: • HDHPs generally offer lower premiums than other plans. This means you’ll have less money taken out of your paycheck. • HDHPs give you greater flexibility. While HDHPs have higher annual […]
What did cinematic stalwart Joan Crawford think of sultry starlet Marilyn Monroe? How did dashing Tyrone Power feel about putting stardom on hold to join the Marines during World War II? Was there ever any doubt that suave Sean Connery was the right man for the job of bringing superspy James Bond to life? To […]