Open season, the annual period when Postal Service employees can change their health benefits or enroll in a new plan, begins Monday, Nov. 12. A variety of health, vision and dental coverage is available through the following plans and programs: Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) USPS Health Benefits Plan (USPSHBP) for non-career employees only […]
This Veterans Day marks the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, the milestone that established Nov. 11 as the day set aside to honor those who have served in the American armed forces. The holiday is especially significant to the Postal Service, one of the nation’s largest employers of veterans. The organization […]
Letter Carrier John Lamparyk was recently delivering mail in a Lakewood, OH, neighborhood when a jogger alerted him to a fire on the front porch of a nearby home. While 911 was called, Lamparyk rushed to the scene and grabbed a garden hose connected to the house next door. By the time firefighters arrived, the […]
I love reading Link articles. […]
Linda Williams-Brettingen received life-changing news in 2008 after visiting her doctor for a yearly checkup. The 36-year Postal Service employee was diagnosed with breast cancer — something she didn’t think could happen to someone like her. “I was an athlete who ate healthy and stayed fit, and I still got it,” said Williams-Brettingen, an organizational […]
If there’s a Postal Service employee in Western Pennsylvania District being recognized for something, chances are good you’ll find Larry Mc Clain there, handing over the award and posing for a photo. Mc Clain, a Post Office operations manager for the district, is a big believer in recognizing employees for their work. “I’ve always been […]
The Postal Service wants employees to know about the Hatch Act’s rules on misusing their government positions. The Hatch Act is a law that prohibits postal and other federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity while on duty, while wearing a uniform, while on federal property, or while inside a federal vehicle. Under the […]
Stamp of approval. The Postal Service’s Mississippi Statehood stamp, released last year, has been recognized as the most popular music stamp of 2017. Motivgruppe Musik, an international group of music philatelists, awarded stamp designer Greg Breeding with the 2018 Yehudi Menuhin Trophy this month after the stamp topped the group’s annual poll. Mississippi Statehood, which […]
Postal Police Officer Hoon Lee responded to a call for assistance last spring at a Post Office in New York City’s Times Square neighborhood. When Lee arrived, he found that a letter carrier had collapsed and was not breathing. Having recently undergone CPR/AED training along with other postal police officers and inspectors in the New […]
I was moved by the inspiring story of the Pahoa, HI, Post Office employees’ efforts to continue serving their customers following the recent volcanic eruption. […]
Postal Service employees can order USPS-approved shirts to promote the Alzheimer’s semipostal stamp in November and the Save Vanishing Species semipostal stamp in December. Each shirt costs $12.99 and comes in multiple sizes. The Alzheimer’s shirt is available in white and must be ordered before Friday, Oct. 26, at 5 p.m. Eastern time. The vendor […]
USPS is continuing to promote Marketing Mail as an effective method for businesses to promote their products and services to consumers, Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan reports in her latest “Business Focus” video. “We know direct mail works. It increases return on investment for the sender and has value for the receiver,” Brennan says. “Hard […]
David Drozd likes to get it right. The Munster, IN, letter carrier strives to ensure he delivers every card, letter and package to the correct address. “By providing 100 percent accurate delivery, I ensure our customers receive the service they deserve,” he says. The Postal Service encourages employees throughout the organization to follow this approach. […]
USPS has introduced Postal Communicator’s Toolbox, a Blue page that managers can use to help them discuss the organization with employees, customers, journalists and others. The Toolbox offers fact sheets on important topics, as well as speeches, talking points, links to useful postal sites and guidelines on interacting with the news media. Corporate Communications manages […]
“Good service,” the article that highlighted Los Angeles Mail Handler Willie Clemmons’ 68 years with USPS, reflects the dedication of postal employees. […]
Rural Carrier Associate Erica Williams was delivering mail on a summer day in Grimesland, NC, when she spotted a toddler wandering alone near a busy highway. Williams stopped to check on the little girl, who was wearing only a diaper, and gave her a bottle of water to help her cool down, since a heat […]
USPS has introduced a pictorial guidebook that managers and supervisors can use to help ensure employees wear their uniforms properly. Postal Uniform Guidelines features images of employees wearing appropriate attire. The head-to-toe photographs show actual uniformed employees who serve the public, including letter carriers, retail associates and motor vehicle operators. “Every day, we deliver to […]
Linda Bergeland knows how to get employees excited about growing Postal Service revenue. Bergeland, a small-business development and mail acceptance manager, is helping to spread the word about the importance of lead generation programs throughout Great Lakes Area. The programs — which include Customer Connect, Rural Reach, Clerks Care, Mail Handlers and Submit a Lead […]
The Postal Service wants employees to remember the following electioneering activities are prohibited on USPS property: • Ballot boxes. These boxes should never be displayed or collected in Post Office retail lobbies or other locations. • Non-USPS fliers, pamphlets and unauthorized literature. This includes partisan materials, such as the depositing, posting or displaying of materials […]
The Postal Service and Israel Post will jointly issue a Hanukkah stamp Tuesday, Oct. 16. The stamp artwork features a menorah created using the techniques of papercutting, a traditional Jewish folk art. Tamar Fishman, the artist, made a pencil sketch of the design, then used a fine blade to cut the two-dimensional image on white […]
Letter Carrier David Linscott was delivering mail during this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in downtown Denver when he spotted a man collapsed on a sidewalk. Linscott recognized the man — who appeared to be having a seizure — as a security guard he’d chatted with earlier. The Postal Service employee immediately called 911 and […]
I enjoyed “Bold faces,” the article about the heroic individuals recognized by the National Association of Letter Carriers. I wish the heroism of postal employees were highlighted more often by the news media. […]
The Postal Service will release its Sparkling Holidays stamps Thursday, Oct. 11. The stamps feature four images of Santa Claus created for Coca-Cola holiday advertisements that ran from the 1940s-1960s. Additionally, USPS will offer a souvenir sheet with a semi-jumbo stamp as part of a wider scene that depicts Santa standing by a fireplace and […]
USPS is offering suggested mail-by dates for the holiday mailing and shipping season. Customers who want their domestic holiday mail and packages to arrive by Dec. 25 should follow these recommended deadlines: Dec. 14: USPS Retail Ground Dec. 14: First-class packages (up to 15.99 ounces) Dec. 20: First-Class Mail (including greeting cards) Dec. 20: Hawaii to […]
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.6 percent during the week ending Oct. 5, down from one week earlier. Dakotas (99.14 percent) topped the districts, while Eastern (97.8 percent) led the areas. To see the latest results, go to the Enterprise Analytics site and select “Analytics Tools,” followed by “DES2 Scan Dashboard.” Storm watch. […]
Thank you for the helpful “Here’s the skinny” article that explained the flat-sized mailpiece rules. […]
Retail Associate Rhonda Channell was on duty recently at the Valley Head, WV, Post Office when customer Jessy Darden called with an urgent request. Darden’s elderly mother, who lived in an isolated mountaintop residence, was having a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting and the pair were en route to a nearby fire station […]
James Day is a soldier on a mission. Day is the clerk in charge of the mailroom at Camp Arifjan — an installation in Kuwait that the Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard use to provide ground support for armored vehicles and helicopters. Day, who often works with limited support, is responsible for distributing […]
Link is seeking employees to showcase in “On the job,” a regular column that profiles individual Postal Service workers and their contributions to the organization. More than 20 employees have been featured since the series began in April, including a San Diego automotive mechanic; a Pittsburgh master facilitator; a Riverdale, MD, retail associate; a St. […]
USPS wants employees to know about the online resources available to help them accept, process and deliver ballots and political mailpieces during this year’s elections. The Election and Political Mail 2018 Blue page has an interactive map that allows employees to find the names and contact information for each state’s election and political mail coordinators. Lists of the election and […]