The Postal Service is reminding employees that their USPS-issued smartphones will be placed in quarantine after April 23 if they don’t keep the operating system up to date. Outdated operating systems pose a security risk that exposes smartphones and the postal network to hackers and other malicious actors. Employees must keep their USPS-issued smartphones current […]
USPS has notified the Postal Regulatory Commission of mailing services price changes to take effect July 9. The proposed changes include: • Letters (1 ounce): 63 cents (current), 66 cents (planned) • Letters (metered 1 ounce): 60 cents (current), 63 cents (planned) • Domestic postcards: 48 cents (current), 51 cents (planned) • International postcards: $1.45 […]
USPS wants to remind employees that there are rules regarding employment outside the Postal Service. If you have a second job or own an outside business, remember that postal time, equipment and resources cannot be used to serve another employer. There’s also a conflict if the outside job prevents you from adequately performing your USPS […]
The Postal Service is warning employees and contractors to be aware of cybercriminals who use ransomware, a type of malware that can hold entire computer networks hostage until a ransom is paid. Employees can unknowingly download ransomware onto a computer by opening an email attachment, clicking an ad, following a link or even visiting a […]
Woodridge, IL, Letter Carrier Kimberly Gillis was recently making deliveries when she grew concerned about a 95-year-old customer whose mail and newspapers were piling up. Gillis alerted neighbors, one of whom had a key to the woman’s home, and they soon found her stranded on the floor of her bedroom, where she’d fallen several days […]
Registration for a spring wellness challenge that encourages participants to embrace healthy habits while striving to earn a virtual jackpot opens April 10. Feel Like a Million is a voluntary six-week program that encourages participants to move more, eat more healthfully and spend time in nature, among other wellness goals. Participants earn virtual dollars whenever […]
The Postal Service is reminding employees to complete their required environmental compliance training. Training requirements vary based on the operations and systems at each site, the local jurisdiction and employees’ roles and responsibilities. Employees who conduct vehicle or building maintenance activities, handle hazardous or regulated waste, or have responsibilities for bulk storage tanks containing oil […]
More than 8,000 Retail and Delivery Operations supervisors from across the nation recently attended a series of meetings that highlighted supervisors’ vital role in the organization’s future. Participants learned about the Postal Service’s strategy under the Delivering for America plan, strengthened their leadership skills, shared best practices and received advice on moving forward in their […]
Letter Carrier Timmye Crowley was recently delivering mail to an older customer in Billings, MT, when she spotted smoke inside the man’s house and heard his fire alarm going off. Crowley immediately rang the bell and knocked until the customer woke up in the chair where he’d been sleeping and answered the door. The man, […]
The Postal Service will release its Tulip Blossoms stamps on April 5. Dutch immigrants brought tulip bulbs to the United States, perhaps as early as the 1600s. The United States now imports more than 1 billion bulbs a year. Tulips can be grown in most of the country, outside of the Deep South, and gardeners […]
Here’s a look at Postal Service employees who received appointments or recognition recently: • Three employees — Louis A. DiLeo, a master black belt in WestPac Area retail and delivery operations; Scott C. Gantner, a master black belt in processing and distribution operations training and strategy; and Francisco A. Gutierrez, a master black belt in […]
In times of catastrophe, Postal Service employees — often despite great personal struggles of their own — come together to snap a community back into the rhythm of everyday life. Case in point: the immediate aftermath of the monster tornado that devastated Rolling Fork, MS, and environs last month. “Every employee showed up to work […]
Acting Transportation Operations Supervisor Sandra Jackson and Transportation Operations Supervisor Adam Sangare were recently on duty at the Cincinnati Processing and Distribution Center when a co-worker began exhibiting signs of a stroke. Jackson and Sangare sprang into action, immediately calling 911, stationing employees to guide emergency responders to the scene, keeping onlookers away and comforting […]
Postal Service facilities can now purchase protective, disposable, nitrile gloves through eBuy Plus. The Topeka, KS, Material Distribution Center (MDC) was previously filling bulk orders for the gloves at no cost as a COVID-19 pandemic response measure to ensure they were available for employees despite supply chain disruptions. Facilities can continue to order face masks, […]
The Postal Service has created a new position — vice president and chief data and analytics officer — as part of the organization’s effort to improve efficiency. Stephen M. Dearing has been tapped to fill the new role on an acting basis and will report to Chief Information Officer Pritha Mehra. The new position, announced […]
President Joe Biden has ordered U.S. flags flown at half-staff to honor the victims of this week’s mass shooting in Nashville, TN. Flags should be flown at half-staff until March 31 at sunset. To fly the flag at half-staff, hoist the flag to the peak for an instant and then lower it to the half-staff […]
The Postal Service has released its latest commercial. The series of short seasonal spots shows how the organization delivers for businesses, and features a variety of postal positions, not just mail carriers. The new 15-second spot showcases Royce Cleveland, a mail handler assistant in Eugene, OR; Alison Turner, the logistics and visibility team director in […]
The Postal Service is committed to cultivating a positive and safe work environment that’s free of threats, intimidation, bullying and violence for all employees. To help fulfill this commitment, a threat assessment team is available to respond to threats, assaults and potential violence at all USPS locations. These teams are located at district and area […]
The United States and Mexico celebrated 200 years of diplomatic relations on March 8 at the National Museum of American Diplomacy in Washington, DC. Judy de Torok, the USPS corporate affairs vice president, accepted a special letter of solidarity written by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to be delivered by mail to Marcelo Luis […]
Retail associates Catherine Rivera and Kiel Stewart were recently on duty in Geneva, NY, when they grew concerned about a customer who seemed disoriented. The postal employees called 911 and kept an eye on the woman until emergency responders arrived and took her to a hospital. The customer’s daughter later told Postmaster Vernon Ficcaglia her […]
Postal Vision will cease broadcasting at the end of June to USPS facilities that use the application. Commonly found in break rooms and other nonpublic areas at Post Offices, mail processing centers and other postal facilities, Postal Vision screens have been a standard way for the organization to disseminate information to employees. The Postal Service […]
The Postal Service will release its Art of the Skateboard stamps on March 24. The bold designs on these four stamps capture skateboarding’s excitement while reflecting the diversity and influences of the artists themselves. The designs incorporate both ancient iconography and modern graffiti. The first skateboards mimicked surfboards. They were simple in design and might […]
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is encouraging all employees to participate in the revamped USPS lead generation program. Called LEADing Together, the new program combines the Business Connect, Clerks Care, Customer Connect, Mail Handlers, Rural Reach and Submit a Lead programs into one, using a common portal for employees to enter customer information. It’s “now easier […]
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s efforts to transform the Postal Service are the focus of a lengthy profile in Time magazine. The article outlines many of the goals of the Delivering for America plan, including establishing sorting and delivery centers, converting more than 125,000 part-time employees to full time and making USPS both efficient and profitable. “That’s […]
The Postal Service has released a video celebrating its new Railroad Stations stamps. The Forever stamps celebrate the noteworthy architecture of five iconic, historic stations in the United States that continue to play an important role in their community. Each stamp in the pane of 20 is an illustration of one of the featured stations. […]
The Postal Service will offer a virtual career fair for front-line supervisory positions on Sunday, March 26. The fair is part of Focus on the Front, an initiative to fill 2,800 Executive and Administrative Schedule Level 17 supervisory jobs. Participants will hear from operational leaders and receive an overview of the knowledge and skills needed […]
The Postal Service recently earned the Public Service Award for its Election Mail program from the nonpartisan Election Verification Network. The award is given annually to a public official or government unit for protecting and promoting election integrity. “This award is further confirmation of the Postal Service’s deep commitment and great success in delivering the […]
Letter Carrier Gary Powell was delivering mail on a fall day in Martin, TN, when he came upon a duplex on fire. Powell immediately called 911 and banged on the units’ front doors, then heard a customer yelling for help from a side entrance. The Postal Service employee rushed to aid the woman, who uses […]
The Postal Service has announced release dates and dedication locations for stamps that will be issued from June through August: • U.S. Flag, April 10, Freedom, ME; no ceremony • Waterfalls, June 13, Yellowstone National Park, WY • Northern Cardinal Stamped Envelope, July 9, Bird City, KS; no ceremony • John Lewis, July 21, Atlanta […]
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has paused all new applications for the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program. Unenrolled individuals cannot apply for the program. The suspension period, which will run for 24 months from Dec. 19, 2022, is designed to give OPM and the John Hancock Life and Health Insurance Co., the […]