Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar on preparing for retirement. The session, “Retirement 101,” will be held Sept. 29 at noon EDT. An Aetna representative will conduct the webinar, which will cover how retirement benefits work, including tools and resources to help employees plan for changes. Participants must register before the event […]
During National Preparedness Month, the Postal Service is encouraging employees to put together an emergency supply kit for their homes. Such a kit is a collection of basic items to meet the needs of your family — including pets — for at least 72 hours. These items should be packed in a portable container, such […]
Maybe Pickles the Clown is considering a career change? The Wisconsin District’s Job Center on Wheels made a stop at the Pierce County Fair in mid-August. The fair featured Pickles, a demolition derby, goat judging, cotton candy and the USPS mobile recruitment center — positioned in prime real estate on the midway. Attracting and retaining […]
I was excited for Bonita Brown, the postal employee whose student loans were recently forgiven under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) highlighted in article “Zero balance.” My student loans were forgiven under the PSLF, too. It is a huge relief for me. […]
The Combined Federal Campaign’s cause of the week is education. According to the National Center for Education Statistics: • Only eight states have public high school graduation rates of 90 percent or higher. • Only 35 percent of fourth-graders are proficient in reading, according to the standard set by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. […]
The Postal Service has cut its rate for Every Door Direct Mail as part of its price and classification changes that went into effect July 10. The new rate for the product, when dropped off at a retail location, is a 6.5 percent decrease and is a return to what it cost in 2019, before […]
The passing of Queen Elizabeth II, who reigned for 70 years, will soon alter the United Kingdom’s stamps and mailboxes. Elizabeth’s death, at the age of 96 on Sept. 8, will change the face of the United Kingdom’s stamps, which will soon bear a profile image of its new monarch, King Charles III. Stamps bearing […]
Caroline Badgett, a rural carrier associate, was recently making deliveries in Eustace, TX, when she spotted a customer lying in a yard outside a residence. Badgett rushed to check on the customer, who was unresponsive, and immediately called 911. Paramedics soon arrived to provide medical attention. They determined that the customer’s blood sugar level was […]
“Here, kiddie kiddie” was a clever headline for the “Heroes’ Corner” about a child who became lost looking for the family cat. Nice job! […]
During National Preparedness Month, the Postal Service is reminding managers and emergency management teams to be ready at a moment’s notice. USPS employees at every level must be prepared to respond to — and recover quickly from — emergencies. Facility managers and other postal leaders should: • Post emergency procedures and make sure they are shared […]
USPS and 18 of its international counterparts will celebrate the fourth annual Green Postal Day on Sept. 16. The observance highlights the progress made by posts around the world working together to reduce carbon emissions. It is also meant to inspire other industries to adopt a similar approach to addressing climate change. The day is […]
The most wonderful time of the year has received a jump start. The USPS Operation Santa program began accepting letters from people in need on Sept. 15 — six weeks earlier than last year. The Postal Service made the announcement at the stamp dedication celebrating the new Holiday Elves stamps in North Pole, AK. Michael […]
The Postal Service has made critical investments in personnel, technology and its network footprint in advance of the 2022 holiday season. Preparations began in January and build on the investments and organizational strategy improvements made ahead of the successful 2021 holiday mailing and shipping season. These measures are part of Delivering for America, the Postal […]
I just read “Zero balance,” the recent article about Bonita Brown, whose student loan was forgiven under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program limited waiver. I, too, received forgiveness for my law school loans in February of this year. The program is truly life changing and more postal employees should take advantage of it. […]
If you suddenly receive a text message from USPS urging you to confirm the delivery of a parcel, it’s probably a robotext from an online criminal. Like smishing, robotexts are text messages that appear to come from reputable companies, but are actually sent by scammers trying to con recipients into revealing bank account details, credit […]
Scott Raymond has been named Atlantic Area’s acting vice president, effective Oct. 1. Raymond will oversee 12 districts, 128,000 employees, 8,600 Post Offices and more than 35 million delivery points. He served most recently as Atlantic Region’s senior logistics director, a post he held since March 2021. He began transitioning to his new role on […]
Retail Associate Barbara Priess was recently on duty in Waverly, NE, when she learned of a devastating fire at a nearby apartment complex. Priess rushed to the scene, where she encountered a mother and infant who had escaped the blaze with insufficient clothing, leaving them desperate for help. The Postal Service employee made arrangements to […]
I enjoyed “Mother lode,” the article about the old postal equipment recovered through the scavenger hunt. It reminded me of when I joined USPS and the technology was a lot less complicated. […]
This story has been updated. President Joe Biden has ordered U.S. flags flown at half-staff to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The queen was monarch and head of state of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and several other countries. She died Sept. 8 after reigning for more than 70 years. USPS […]
USPS is reminding employees about the Well Traveled challenge, a six-week interactive program that helps build behaviors for lifelong wellness. Employees can use their personal, nonpostal devices to log into the Well Traveled website or download the program app to track physical activity, access hundreds of recipes, answer trivia and support one another on message […]
During National Preparedness Month, the Postal Service is reminding employees and contractors to help keep USPS workplaces safe and secure. Employees should always secure entry points when not in use, wear their postal photo ID badge and watch for individuals not wearing badges. To further protect workspaces: • Secure unattended USPS vehicles and trailers. Immediately […]
USPS and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) have published online FAQs about the new Postal Service Health Benefits Program. The program, also known as PSHB, will begin in 2025 and will provide health insurance to eligible Postal Service employees, annuitants and their eligible family members. PSHB is a new program within the Federal Employees […]
Rural Carrier Kari Kerndt-Hammel was delivering mail one day last fall at a farm in Waukon, IA, when she saw something that alarmed her: A driverless tractor crashed through a fence before coming to a stop in a barnyard. Fearful for the well-being of farmer Don McGraw, Kerndt-Hammel rushed to locate the man, whom she […]
September is National Preparedness Month and the Postal Service is encouraging employees to take time to prepare for emergencies. “Take the time to prepare yourself and your family for disasters because the life and legacy you have built is worth protecting,” said USPS Corporate Affairs Vice President Judy de Torok, who oversees the organization’s continuity […]
The latest Postal Pulse results are now available. The annual survey allows employees to share feedback about their work environment and provides leaders with valuable insights toward creating an engaging workplace. The overall engagement score on this year’s survey is 3.31 on a scale of 1 to 5, a decrease of 0.05 from last year’s […]
After a tornado devastated tiny Cushing, TX, in March, Rural Carrier Kami Youngblood was among those who stepped up to help the city of fewer than 700 residents recover. In the storm’s immediate aftermath, Youngblood distributed food, water and other household supplies to families in need. She also carried those items in her postal vehicle […]
During allergy season, Postal Service employees can use their flexible spending account to cover eligible over-the-counter expenses. These include medicine, anti-itch creams, saline sprays and multisymptom eye drops. Many allergy drugs don’t require a doctor’s prescription, making it easier for employees to use their FSAFEDS account on important medical purchases. The FSAFEDS website has a […]
Children in Illinois recently had an opportunity to learn more about the mail and the world behind the walls of their neighborhood Post Office. Postmaster Robbie Axsom and his colleagues hosted two field trips from a learning center in Morton. Both Axsom and Customer Services Supervisor Derek Brown showed the children how to scan and […]
Postal Service facilities uncovered $2.57 million worth of hardware during Retail and Delivery’s first Equipment Scavenger Hunt. Approximately 13,700 pieces of unused equipment were identified and returned during the contest, which ran from June 18 to July 8. “Not only will we be able to recycle a large portion of this equipment back into our […]
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 disposed 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 facilities […]