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Courageous countdown: No. 8

Link is looking back at the year in “Heroes’ Corner” with a countdown of the 10 most-viewed articles. Coming in at No. 8 is “Crash course of action,” the story of Esther Perez. The letter carrier was delivering mail in Anaheim, CA, when she saw a car crash into a tree. While a bystander called […]

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Courageous countdown: No. 9

Link is looking back at the year in “Heroes’ Corner” with a countdown of the 10 most-viewed articles. Coming in at No. 9 is “Paying ATTN,” the story of Jason Stephenson. The letter carrier was making deliveries in Orlando, FL, when he noticed mail addressed to a 71-year-old customer at a residence where she did […]

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It’s so easy

The Postal Service is reminding employees to use PostalEASE to enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program or the USPS Health Benefits Plan. PostalEASE can be accessed from the Benefits Enrollment Changes section of the Open Season LiteBlue page, or by calling the employee service line at 877-477-3273 and selecting option 1. The Federal […]

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As you wish

A video available in English and with Spanish captions shows customers how they can participate in a treasured holiday tradition: USPS Operation Santa. The program allows generous people and organizations to adopt letters to help Santa Claus fulfill the holiday wish lists of children, as well as some adults, experiencing hardship. The 90-second animated spot […]

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Remembering Pearl Harbor

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, an annual commemoration of the 1941 attack, will be observed Wednesday, Dec. 7. Postal Service facilities are required to fly the U.S. flag at half-staff this day. To fly the flag at half-staff, hoist the flag to the peak for an instant and then lower it to the half-staff position. […]

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Grab your Checkbook

The Postal Service is reminding employees they can use Checkbook’s Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees to compare their options during this year’s open season. The guide has details about all plans available through the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program. The comparison tool includes information on copays, deductibles, prescription drug costs, and whether […]

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‘Free and equal’

The Combined Federal Campaign’s cause of the week is human rights. “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood,” reads the first of the 30 articles of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of […]

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Disability self-ID

The Postal Service has introduced an online version of PS Form 2489, Self-Identification of a Physical or Mental Disability, and is encouraging all employees with disabilities to complete it. The form allows employees to self-identify as an individual with a disability or to update a disability status already on file. For example, an employee may […]

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Email avalanche

The Postal Service is reminding employees to avoid reply-all email debacles. It usually starts with an email addressed to you and a large number of other recipients. Instead of responding directly to the sender, one of the recipients responds reply-all to everyone in the email distribution list. Another person does the same thing. Then another, […]

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Tag team

Retail Associate Leah Kainz was recently on duty in Custer, SD, when she grew concerned about a customer whose PO Box was overflowing unusually. Kainz mentioned it to Letter Carrier Charles Lehmann, who pointed out that the woman had recently put up a mailbox at home. Kainz asked Lehmann to check on the customer, and […]

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How HDHPs work

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 […]

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Ready when you are

The Postal Service has redesigned the IT Self Help/Service Now portal to provide users with quick, step-by-step information on how to resolve software, operating system, technology and application issues. The updated portal separates the IT service catalog into four sections: • Resolve: where users can create tickets to fix issues, including problems involving desk phones, […]

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Holiday hours

The Postal Service has announced holiday hours for Post Offices and blue collection boxes. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve: Some Post Offices may have extended hours leading up to the holidays, while others may have limited hours on Saturday, Dec. 24. There are currently no plans for limited hours on New Year’s Eve, Saturday, […]

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A decade of good

The Combined Federal Campaign’s cause of the week is Giving Tuesday. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the observance, which takes place on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. What started in 2012 as a local endeavor in New York City is now a global movement dedicated to charitable giving and “radical generosity.” The Combined Federal […]

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Open season midpoint

You have two more weeks to change your health coverage for next year or enroll in a new plan. Open season, the annual period when USPS employees can make benefits changes, ends Monday, Dec. 12. Employees can choose from a variety of health, vision and dental coverage through the following programs and plans: • Federal […]

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Supervisor tutorial

The Occupational Safety and Health team wants field supervisors to know about a new video tutorial on Blue that offers training on their role in advancing workers’ compensation claims in the Employees’ Compensation Operations and Management Portal. The portal, also known as ECOMP, is a web application used to process injury or illness claims that […]

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Ready to adopt

The time has arrived for making holiday wishes come true. Beginning Nov. 28, you can go to the USPS Operation Santa website to read letters from children and others who are less fortunate this holiday season. You can pick one or more letters to adopt and follow the directions on how to fulfil the writer’s […]

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Health care ABCs

Many people are confused by health insurance terminology. To help you navigate your way through this year’s open season benefits enrollment period, here are some important definitions: • Copayment: This is a fixed amount paid for certain covered health care services. • Coinsurance: This is similar to a copayment but refers to a percentage paid […]

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Lean Leader program

The USPS Continuous Improvement team is offering advanced training to select employees who are certified black belts in Lean Six Sigma, a data-driven business approach used worldwide to boost efficiency and reduce waste. Applications for the Lean Leader Certification Program are being accepted from Nov. 28 through Jan. 2. The initial review of applications is […]

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Positive effect

A lead from a letter carrier in Texas has resulted in a shipping deal worth almost $250,000. While delivering mail on his route, Matthew Rabe, who works at the Bedford Post Office, talked with a customer who mentioned that the cost of shipping was negatively affecting their company’s growth. After Rabe submitted the customer’s information […]

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Security detail

After a disaster, letter carriers and retail associates are welcome faces for weary customers, a hopeful sign that things are returning to normal. But behind the scenes are other employees working tirelessly to help USPS — and the communities it serves — recover. Postal inspectors from the Postal Inspection Service are among these hidden helpers. […]

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Healthy savings

Postal Service employees who want to save money for medical expenses have several options during this year’s open season, which runs through Dec. 12. If you enroll in a high-deductible health plan (HDHP), you may be eligible to contribute to a health savings account (HSA). An HSA allows you to pay for current medical expenses […]

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Hunger pangs

The Combined Federal Campaign’s cause of the week is food and nutrition. According to data from the United Nations: • Nearly 1 in 3 people, or 2.37 billion, did not have access to adequate food in 2020. That is an increase of almost 320 million in one year. • 149.2 million children under the age […]

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USPSCA to end

The Postal Service is discontinuing USPSCA, a corporate account payment method used for Express Mail Corporate Accounts and Priority Mail Express Manifest Accounts. USPSCAs — also known as United States Postal Service Corporate Accounts — are prefunded by customers to ship documents or packages by Priority Mail Express. USPSCA customers receive a 5 percent price […]

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Fly by day

Rural Carrier Thomas De La Garza was recently delivering mail in Union, KY, when he heard a customer screaming. De La Garza hurried to assist the man, who had been using a riding lawn mower in his yard and had struck an unhitched trailer, leading to significant abdominal area injuries. The Postal Service employee immediately […]

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Brandy Payne, Galena, OH

The “Sense of Normalcy,” and “Postal family” videos honoring employees for their dedication in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian were so well put together. As a postal employee, I know what the Postal Service is capable of — and the videos highlighted moments that truly show the world who we are and what we do. […]

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Comparison shopping

To help Postal Service employees compare health plans during this year’s open season, the organization offers access to Checkbook’s Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees. The guide has details about all plans available through the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program. The comparison tool includes information on copays, deductibles, prescription drug costs, and whether […]

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