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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
Are you one of the more than 12,000 Postal Service employees who have requested access to Click-N-Ship through ARIS but have not yet received approval? If so, the Shipping and Commerce Product Management team would like you to create a Click-N-Ship G-10 user account through the USPS Business Customer Gateway. Instructions for creating the account […]
Cleveland Letter Carrier Mitchell Rivas shared his nonprofit work with readers in a recent issue of The Eagle magazine. Rivas and his wife, Mindy, founded Maryssa’s Mission Foundation to support the families of hospitalized children. Having lost their 2-year-old daughter Maryssa, who was born with a heart defect, the couple understands the difficulties faced by […]
The Combined Federal Campaign’s cause of the week is children and families. An extensive data page on UNICEF’s website offers numerous reports on the impact of COVID-19 on children around the world. The pandemic: • Intensified the hardships experienced by poor children. • Exacerbated the learning crisis. • Increased child malnutrition. • Increased children’s risks […]
Postal Service employees can participate in an online virtual benefits fair throughout open season, which runs from Nov. 14 through Dec. 12. The virtual fair allows users to visit health care provider booths, attend webinars and download health plan materials from their personal computer or mobile device. It is being presented by USPS and health […]
The Postal Service is reminding fleet managers and drivers to always buy the lowest-cost fuel from stations in the USPS Preferred Fueling Network. The network, or PFN, consists of more than 10,000 retail fuel sites and 24 brands throughout the nation that provide the Postal Service with special pricing. The organization regularly updates PFN agreements, […]
On Nov. 15, the Postal Service will observe America Recycles Day, dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of conservation and recycling. The organization launched its National Recycling Operation, or NRO, in 2013 to streamline postal recycling efforts nationwide. The NRO established hubs to handle backhaul recycling, which takes advantage of existing transport equipment to […]
The USPS Board of Governors unanimously reelected Roman Martinez IV and Anton G. Hajjar as chairman and vice chairman, respectively, Nov. 10. Martinez and Hajjar were first elected to their posts on Jan. 12. Martinez has been on the board since August 2019 and is serving the remainder of a seven-year term that expires Dec. […]
Open season, the once-a-year opportunity for Postal Service employees to make changes to their health coverage or choose a new plan, is Nov. 14-Dec. 12. Here’s what you should know: • You should review your coverage. The Postal Service wants you to evaluate your options to ensure you have the coverage you need without paying […]
Hurray for Tammy Braley, the complaints and inquiry clerk at the Charleston, WV, Post Office who is highlighted in the “What floats your boat?” article. Thank you for your efforts to preserve the great outdoors. […]
Do you know colleagues like Monica Castillo, a rural carrier associate in Riverbank, CA, who rescued a customer in a motorized wheelchair that had been stuck in a doorway for several hours? We want to know about them, too. USPS is seeking nominees for the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program, which honors employees who go above […]
The Postal Service has announced Shipping Services prices for next year. If reviewed favorably by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), the changes will take effect Jan. 22. Here’s a list of current and planned retail prices: • Priority Mail small flat-rate box: $10.40 (current), $10.20 (planned) • Priority Mail medium flat-rate box: $17.05 (current), $17.10 […]
The Postal Service has reported its financial results for fiscal year 2022 (Oct. 1, 2021-Sept. 30, 2022). Here are the highlights: • Revenue. Operating revenue was $78.5 billion, an increase of 1.9 percent from the previous fiscal year. First-Class Mail revenue increased 3.3 percent, and Marketing Mail revenue increased 9.7 percent. Shipping and packages revenue […]
The Postal Service is celebrating Nov. 17 as City Carrier Appreciation Day. City carriers participate in Customer Connect, a joint USPS and National Association of Letter Carriers program that encourages participants to identify sales opportunities. Sales leads from letter carriers have brought in almost $3.5 billion in new revenue for the Postal Service since the […]
The Postal Service has released a Veterans Day video honoring employees who have served in the military. The video, which is viewable on Blue and LiteBlue for the remainder of November, features remarks by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and military veterans: • Nick Popaditch, retired U.S. Marine Corps. tank commander and Silver Star recipient. • […]
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy didn’t let any moss grow under his feet during a recent visit to Georgia. His day started with a speech to roughly 150 members of the Envelope Manufacturers Association who were meeting in Savannah. DeJoy spoke of how he and the executive leadership team are attempting to set the Postal Service […]
The Combined Federal Campaign’s cause of the week is military support. The Postal Service has deep ties to the military community — more than 68,000 USPS employees are veterans of the armed forces. They are colleagues who understand firsthand the hardships and sacrifices of service: long separations, celebrations spent apart, uncertain futures, frequent moves, and […]
A new Postal Service video takes viewers behind the scenes during the filming of the 2022 holiday television commercial. “Every year, we cast real employees in our advertising. And I love that because it just adds to the authenticity of our brand,” says Marketing Vice President Sheila Holman, who was on site during the filming […]
Central Area is the winner of the USPS Connect Local Cup challenge. Employees from all four Postal Service areas submitted a total of 7,592 sales leads for the new USPS Connect Local delivery option during fiscal year 2022. USPS Connect Local, which began a national rollout in February, offers businesses affordable next-day delivery in select […]
The Postal Service has updated its own history book. Publication 100, The United States Postal Service: An American History, traces the organization’s evolution from the Colonial era to the digital age. “It tells the fascinating story of our ever-changing and improving institution,” said Judy de Torok, the Postal Service’s corporate affairs vice president. “I hope […]