Postal Service craft employees can now use the Enterprise Leave Request Application to request unscheduled leave. The application, also known as eLRA, is accessible through LiteBlue using a computer, smartphone or other mobile device. Non-craft employees have used eLRA for several years. Recent improvements to the system have made it available to craft employees. Employees can […]
Edward Holloway was recently honored for achieving a significant milestone in his long postal career. Co-workers at East Durham Station in North Carolina paid tribute to the rural carrier’s 50 years of federal service. “I wake up every day and come to the Post Office to deliver mail, and I enjoy it so much that […]
Carolyn Cole wants to help Postal Service employees conserve energy. Cole, energy initiatives manager at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC, is working with her Office of Sustainability colleagues to promote conservation throughout October, which is Energy Awareness Month. The organization-wide educational effort is part of the Postal Service’s broader strategy to reduce its “energy footprint” […]
The Postal Service is providing customers with tips to help ensure the safety of letter carriers and others during the holiday season. To help avoid injuries from slipping on snow and ice, USPS wants customers to shovel and salt their sidewalks and walkways, especially when expecting a mail delivery. The area around the mailbox should […]
If you have questions about the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), locating answers just became a little easier. The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, the agency that administers the program, recently introduced “The Real TSP,” a podcast available on YouTube. The podcast is hosted by TSP educators who provide an in-depth look at retirement investing and […]
I genuinely love Link’s “Heroes’ Corner” stories. […]
USPS is expanding its use of Label Broker, a service available to customers who have purchases to return to a merchant but no access to a printer or shipping labels. After introducing Label Broker last year in select markets, USPS will expand the service nationwide Monday, Oct. 21. Customers will be able to visit a […]
Wakefield, MI, Postmaster Drew Tikkanen’s two sons think their mom has a very cool job. The boys, Maximus and Justus, are fascinated by the Postal Service and recently got to experience what Tikkanen does at work when she gave them a behind-the-scenes look at a day in the life of the Wakefield office. “I think […]
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.82 percent during the week ending Oct. 11, down from one week earlier. Western (97.96 percent) led the areas, while Dakotas (99.23 percent) topped the districts. Scanning allows customers to track their packages and mail, and it helps USPS improve efficiency and network management. To see […]
I was really inspired by “‘Amazed’ by Grace,” the article about how the Postal Service helped Grace Flannery, a woman with Down syndrome, achieve her dream of delivering mail and packages. […]
A Southern California postal facility is making room for employees to get healthy. The Sierra Coastal District office, located in Santa Clarita, has opened a wellness center in a previously unused area in the cafeteria. The center was established by Julia Williams, who recently retired as an occupational health nurse administrator, and Rossana “Rose” Legaspi, […]
My name is Sharley Bell and I’m a field sales representative in Indianapolis. My job is to educate business customers about postal products and services. I contact potential customers to find out what their needs are in order to pair them with our products and services and to maximize their business efficiency. I research many […]
USPS wants employees to remember the Retail Customer Appointment Scheduler tool is available to help users schedule first-time passport application appointments online. Customers can use a computer or mobile device to go to usps.com/scheduler and schedule a first-time appointment for a passport book, a passport card or both. The tool, also known as the RCAS, […]
USPS has released a video with highlights from the recent dedication ceremony for its Tyrannosaurus Rex stamps. “These stamps [are] 66 million years in the making,” Julius T. Csotonyi, a scientist and the stamp artist, says in the video. The 16-stamp pane features four designs of the dinosaur in growth stages from infancy to adulthood. Two stamps […]
The “Heroes’ Corner” story about Terry Lowie, the Sycamore, IL, letter carrier who guided a blind man and his disoriented dog out of a dangerous street crossing, was wonderfully heartwarming. […]
The Postal Service has announced price changes to take effect next year. The USPS governors approved the proposed changes, which will be reviewed by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) before they take effect Jan. 26. In a news release, the governors said these new rates will keep the Postal Service competitive while providing the agency […]
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.84 percent during the week ending Oct. 4, up from one week earlier. Western (98.06 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 see […]
The Postal Service has extended “certified engaged” status to 614 teams, a special form of recognition that is given to groups that create positive workplace environments. To qualify, a team must have at least 75 percent of its members complete the most recent Postal Pulse employee survey. The team must also rank among the top […]
Postal Service employees can order a USPS-approved T-shirt to promote the Alzheimer’s semipostal stamp. Employees can order the shirt, at their own expense, from Tee Luv at tee-luv.com/collections/usps. Employees must enter this passcode when placing orders: usps2019. The shirt, available in white, sells for $13.99. Orders will be accepted until Oct. 15 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern […]
“‘Amazed’ by Grace,” the article about the young woman with Down syndrome who spent a day delivering mail with Cincinnati Letter Carrier Melissa Tilton, was outstanding and heartwarming. […]
USPS has added a new machine at several mail processing facilities to help move packages faster. The Robust Bulk Universal Sorter is capable of processing Priority Mail packages and oversized First-Class Mail packages that other machines can’t handle. Fitted with two dumpers, the sorters feature a middle point where an employee uses an overhead scanner […]
The Postal Service dedicated its Purple Heart Medal Stamp on Oct. 4. The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the president of the United States to members of the military who have been wounded or killed in action. By issuing the stamp, USPS wants to honor the sacrifices of the men and women […]
Beverly Graham doesn’t interact with the public in her job, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have customers. “My customers are letter carriers and clerks,” says Graham, a mail processing clerk. “In order for them to provide great service to our customers, mail from my operation must get to them in a timely manner.” The […]
Postal Service employees who submit relocation authorizations from Nov. 22-Dec. 31 will not receive expense disbursements or reimbursements until Jan. 2, 2020. USPS established the Nov. 22 deadline to ensure the organization has adequate time to record and report all relocation expenses for 2019 tax purposes. All relocation expense reimbursement requests submitted after Nov. 22 […]
Cybersecurity stream. The Postal Service will offer a livestream of a National Cybersecurity Awareness Month event on Thursday, Oct. 10, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The event will be held at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC, and feature speakers who will offer insights on trends in cybersecurity, as well as tips from the CyberSafe at USPS […]
The Postal Service is launching an awards program to identify and showcase districts that exceed requirements in maintaining safe workplaces. The Safety Leadership and Vision Awards are part of the Safety Intervention and Recognition Program, which USPS introduced this year to monitor, assist and recognize safety performance in order to drive implementation of best practices […]
I appreciated Link’s recent article about the Postal Service improving the process for shipping cremated remains, which is probably the most important, time-sensitive material we ship. […]
A Postal Service employee received praise recently after reuniting a customer with $5,000 in missing cash. The customer, Don Wells, a retiree, had withdrawn the money from a bank and placed it in a deposit envelope, then accidentally mailed it with several letters and bills. The bank envelope had no name or address on it. […]
The Postal Service has been recognized again as one of the nation’s top employers of veterans. Viqtory, a media and marketing company that produces magazines and websites for veterans and service members, included USPS in its 2020 Military Friendly Awards. The Postal Service earned the No. 2 spot on Viqtory’s list of the top 10 […]
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a time to ensure everyone has the resources they need to stay safe and secure online. Here are some tips from the CyberSafe at USPS team: • Secure it. Secure your Postal Service-issued electronic devices through encryption, passphrases and the use of a virtual private network. • Separate for […]