USPS logo LINK — USPS employee news Printable

Medicare and retirement

Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar on Medicare and retirement. The session will be held Wednesday, March 15, at noon EDT. Leslie Priest, a senior relationship manager with Aetna, will discuss benefits available for federal employees after retirement, including health plans, Medicare parts A and B, and dental and vision care. She […]

Read More… from Medicare and retirement

Cargo hold

New USPS-approved cargo-pocket pants are now available for purchase by city letter carriers. In addition to the standard side seam pockets, the new trousers have a utility pocket lower down on each leg — a useful spot for scanners and other mobile devices. The pants are offered in men’s and women’s styles and in summer […]

Read More… from Cargo hold

Managing diabetes

Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar to learn nutrition and management techniques for controlling diabetes, a chronic health condition that affects more than 34 million people in the United States. “Diabetes: Manage Well, Live Well!” will be held Monday, March 13, at noon EDT. The session is hosted by the Wellness team […]

Read More… from Managing diabetes

‘Beloved’ writer

The Postal Service will release its Toni Morrison stamp on March 7. Morrison (1931-2019) was the rare author who achieved both critical success and bestseller status. Some of her best-known novels include “The Bluest Eye,” “Song of Solomon” and “Beloved,” which explored the diverse voices and multifaceted experiences of African Americans. She received many honors, […]

Read More… from ‘Beloved’ writer

Scouting for mail

Neither rain nor wind nor gloom of night could stay roughly 200 Boy Scouts, their leaders and others from their annual Barefoot Mailman Hike in South Florida. As fate would have it, rain, wind and gloom of night were part of the equation this year, but the scouts soldiered on. The February hike is a […]

Read More… from Scouting for mail

The ‘miracle’ workers

By the time the older couple sought Postmaster LeEtte Duncan’s help last summer in Pacific City, OR, she feared it was too late to stop the financially crippling scam they’d fallen for. A caller impersonating a bank representative had convinced the couple they needed to send a cashier’s check for $99,000 via Priority Mail Express […]

Read More… from The ‘miracle’ workers

FEHB and Medicare

Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar to learn about the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program and Medicare. The session, “Medicare and FEHB,” will be held March 9 at 1:30 p.m. EST. Representatives from GEHA, a not-for-profit provider of health plans for federal employees, will conduct the webinar and explain how Medicare […]

Read More… from FEHB and Medicare

Listen and learn

The Postal Service is reminding employees of the importance of stand-up talks on safety matters. Stand-up talks are the organization’s main communication method to inform employees on a wide range of issues. This information is valuable to everyone, regardless of their level or job title. Managers, supervisors and installation heads must regularly deliver safety-oriented stand-up […]

Read More… from Listen and learn

Moving forward

The Postal Service has awarded contracts for 9,250 left-hand drive battery electric vehicles, as well as orders for more than 14,000 charging stations to be deployed at USPS facilities. These awards are part of the vehicle electrification strategy that was announced in December by USPS leaders and senior White House officials. Overall, the Postal Service’s […]

Read More… from Moving forward

Rules for the road

The Postal Service wants employees to remember the rules for submitting and approving eTravel expense reports. Here are some general guidelines: • If you add a meal transaction to an expense report, designate it as nonreimbursable by placing a check mark in the box titled “Personal.” If you purchased the meal on your employee travel […]

Read More… from Rules for the road

Petal-powered

The Postal Service issued a high-denomination Floral Geometry stamp Feb. 24 at the San Diego Stamp Show. The $10 stamp joins last year’s $2 and $5 Floral Geometry issues. Each denomination is a different color: The $10 stamp is red, the $2 stamp is green and the $5 stamp is purple. They were designed to […]

Read More… from Petal-powered

‘Orchestrated’ players

The Postal Service’s latest behind-the-scenes video shows viewers how the organization’s spring ad campaign was filmed. The TV commercial, “Orchestrated Delivery,” began airing last week. The seven postal employees in it represent a shift away from the focus on letter carriers in previous campaigns. “This time around, we’re actually featuring a variety of employees because […]

Read More… from ‘Orchestrated’ players

Kelly Wheeler, Sayner, WI

After reading “Vital valentines,” the article about the organization that sends valentines to senior communities to combat the effects of social isolation and loneliness, I wrote a note to an elderly customer. The sweet lady had lost her husband a few months ago and I just wanted her to know that I was thinking of […]

Read More… from Kelly Wheeler, Sayner, WI

Hale and heart-y

Darren Hale, a St. Louis letter carrier, was delivering mail last summer when a stormy day took a perilous turn: He came upon a neighborhood that was quickly flooding, where he encountered customer Cherry Jackson, who had rushed home from work at the urging of her 11-year-old daughter. The girl was trapped inside the family’s […]

Read More… from Hale and heart-y

By land, by sea

The Postal Service recently released stamps showcasing school buses and sailboats. The School Bus stamp honors the iconic bright yellow form of transportation for millions of students across the United States. The brilliant color of school buses can be attributed to a group of state transportation officials and bus and paint manufacturers who met in […]

Read More… from By land, by sea

Threads of continuity

After a twister hit the historic Mayfield, KY, Post Office in December 2021, the building was deemed a total loss. To give an idea of how powerful the EF4 tornado was, an LLV from the site was whooshed up and deposited more than six miles away. But among the debris, a group of postal workers […]

Read More… from Threads of continuity

Her level best

Jerelyn Morton, a rural carrier in Stockbridge, GA, was recently delivering mail when she spotted a customer, James Alexander, unconscious in his garage. Morton sprang into action, enlisting the help of his neighbor Roberta Richardson, calling 911 and performing CPR on him for five minutes until emergency responders arrived and took over. Alexander, who has […]

Read More… from Her level best

Lean cuisine

Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming virtual cooking demonstration on ways to cut oil and sugar in food preparation. The session, “Cooking Without Oil/Dump the Sugar,” will be held Wednesday, Feb. 22, at noon EST. Representatives from Blue Cross Blue Shield will show healthy ways of cooking and using alternatives to oil and […]

Read More… from Lean cuisine

Cruise control

The reimbursement rate for travel related to medical care for participants in the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program will continue to be 22 cents a mile in 2023. The FSAFEDS rate was increased to 22 cents last year on July 1. From Jan. 1-June 30, 2022, the rate was 18 cents a mile. The deadline […]

Read More… from Cruise control

Through the grapevine

When World War II separated Farm Credit Administration (FCA) employees-turned-soldiers from their colleagues back home, the mail kept them together. The FCA is an independent federal agency that regulates the financial institutions of the Farm Credit System, which serves the credit needs of the nation’s farmers, ranchers and agricultural cooperatives. Last Veterans Day, the agency […]

Read More… from Through the grapevine

Don’t be fuelish

The Postal Service wants employees to always choose regular unleaded fuel when purchasing gas for vehicles in the USPS fleet. Using premium fuel is against postal policy. To ensure accuracy, review the receipt after each transaction and report discrepancies in fuel type to the merchant and your manager. An account dispute form is available on […]

Read More… from Don’t be fuelish

No more Skype

Editor’s note: This story has been revised since it was first published. The Skype for Business application will be turned off and removed from all ACE workstations on Feb. 27. As a replacement for Skype, USPS is offering Zoom Team Chat. The application allows users to switch from chat messaging to an instant Zoom meeting. […]

Read More… from No more Skype

Vital valentines

Tawanda Robbins knows a little card can make a big difference. Robbins is the founder of the Love in Action Project, a Charlotte, NC-based nonprofit that aids older people across the nation. February is the group’s busiest time of the year, when volunteers make valentines to send to senior communities to combat the effects of […]

Read More… from Vital valentines

Silver lining

The man living with a traumatic brain injury thought he’d driven from New York. But as he wandered around the parking lot at the Animas, NM, Post Office on a September morning last year — disoriented, distressed, his dog Maggie by his side, no vehicle in sight — Retail Associate Mary McCarty wasn’t sure what […]

Read More… from Silver lining

USPS finances

The Postal Service has reported its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2023 (Oct. 1-Dec. 31, 2022). Here are some highlights: • Revenue. Operating revenue was $21.5 billion, an increase of 1 percent compared with the same quarter last fiscal year. Shipping and packages revenue increased 2.4 percent, and First-Class Mail revenue […]

Read More… from USPS finances

Gifted storyteller

A new Postal Service video highlights the Ernest J. Gaines stamp release. The critically acclaimed author is the 46th honoree in the Postal Service’s Black Heritage stamp series. The stamp features an oil painting of Gaines based on a 2001 photograph. USPS recently dedicated the stamp at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where Gaines […]

Read More… from Gifted storyteller

Waste watchers

The Postal Service is reminding employees to follow the proper procedures for the handling, storage and disposal of used batteries. Most used batteries contain hazardous components and cannot be tossed in the trash. These batteries are typically regulated as universal waste and include inoperable batteries from mobile scanners, phones, laptops and other electronic equipment. USPS […]

Read More… from Waste watchers

Phish eye

The Postal Service wants employees and contractors to remain vigilant against malware, malicious software specifically designed to compromise computer systems or devices. Malware can be delivered in several ways, including through websites, apps and unsolicited tech support. However, approximately 94 percent of all malware arrives as email attachments. Online criminals often target organizations with phishing […]

Read More… from Phish eye

Deadline nearing

Postal Service facilities that store certain quantities of hazardous chemicals must complete and submit the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) Tier II form by March 1 each year. Reporting requirements apply to any location that stores threshold quantities of EPCRA-regulated chemicals, such as sulfuric acid in lead-acid and gel cell batteries, gasoline, diesel […]

Read More… from Deadline nearing