The Postal Service and the General Services Administration will soon offer USAccess government credentialing services at more Post Offices across the nation. The program provides authorized federal employees and contractors with personal identity verification cards for a variety of purposes, such as getting access to federal office buildings. Currently, six Post Office locations offer USAccess […]
Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar to learn how to stretch their dollars to provide nutritious and delicious meals on a budget. The session, “Meal Planning for Health, Budget and Time,” will be held Aug. 8 at noon Eastern. Health and wellness representatives from GEHA, a not-for-profit provider of health plans for […]
The Postal Service is reminding employees that there are rules that govern speaking, writing or teaching about the organization or their official duties. It is important for the Postal Service to present a single, united message to the public. While employed at USPS, employees are prohibited from: • Profiting off postal information and their job […]
The Postal Service is inviting employees to audition for this year’s holiday advertising campaign. Employees who are selected to participate could be featured in a variety of ads, including TV commercials. The audition is open to all employees. No prior acting experience is required. The USPS 2022 Employee Casting website has instructions on creating and […]
Rural Carrier Theresa Rankin was delivering mail on a frigid February day in Ridgely, MD, when she spotted an older woman walking out of a creek. Rankin immediately stopped to check on the woman, who was disoriented and said she wanted to return to the creek “to meet my friend.” The USPS employee called 911, […]
August is National Immunization Awareness Month, a time to check your health records and make sure you’ve received all relevant vaccinations and boosters. Immunity derived from childhood vaccines can subside over time, and adults become susceptible to different diseases. While the COVID-19 vaccine remains at the forefront of the national conversation, you may find that […]
A sales lead from a letter carrier in California has resulted in a shipping deal worth more than $119,000 for the Postal Service. La Ronda Flowers, who works at the Ontario Post Office, talked with the CEO of a technology company that was looking for a cheaper way to ship its small-to-medium parcels. She submitted […]
On July 14, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy broke bread with the top prize winners in the Sustainability Excellence Awards competition, toasting their effort to trim the fat from several routes between Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. Members of the chief technology officer’s surface trip reduction team, as well as others who took part in the project, […]
Letter Carrier Thomas Oja was delivering mail one day last year in a Stuart, FL, neighborhood when a woman exited a residence and yelled for help. Oja rushed to aid the woman, who was a caregiver for a customer inside who had collapsed. While she called 911, the Postal Service employee hurried to assist the […]
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy participated in an event this week in Washington, DC, to discuss the reinvigoration and transformation of the Postal Service. DeJoy focused on the organization’s progress under the Delivering for America plan, including ongoing improvements to the USPS processing network and transportation strategies. He also highlighted efforts to become financially self-sufficient, improve […]
The Postal Service will begin installing new software on ACE computers in August that will result in more manageable updates and fewer required reboots. The software is Microsoft’s Monthly Enterprise Channel, or MEC, and will provide ACE users with new features, performance improvements and monthly security patches. “The new process of regular updates allows for […]
Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar to learn about Medicare and the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program with Blue Cross Blue Shield. The session, “Medicare, FEHB and Blue Cross Blue Shield,” will be held Thursday, Aug. 4, at noon Eastern. Christel Bull, federal account manager for CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, […]
The Postal Service wants employees to know that the Hatch Act’s rules on politicking in the workplace also apply when working from home. The Hatch Act is a law that prohibits USPS and other federal employees from engaging in political activity while on duty. Under the Hatch Act, employees are on duty when they are […]
Todd S. Hawkins has been named Western Region vice president, a role he has filled on an acting basis since April. Hawkins is responsible for processing and maintenance operations across the region, including overseeing 140 facilities and a workforce of more than 56,000 employees. In a memo last week announcing the appointment, Postmaster General Louis […]
Letter Carrier John Lavin was recently making deliveries in a San Anselmo, CA, neighborhood when he grew concerned about a customer who had not retrieved packages from her porch as she normally would. After knocking on the door and getting no response, Lavin alerted a neighbor, who noticed that the woman’s second-floor bedroom window was […]
Drinking enough water every day is essential for your health. By drinking water, you can help prevent dehydration, which can lead to unclear thinking, mood changes, lower energy, headaches and constipation. During the summer, bodies cool down through sweating, which in turn can lead to dehydration and other ailments. According to the Centers for Disease […]
Here’s a look at Postal Service employees who received appointments or recognition recently: • Omar R. Coleman was named Tennessee District manager. He previously served as National Operations Command Center director. • David E. Mills, labor relations policy and programs director, retired June 30 after 35 years with USPS. • Mary K. Vincent, the Fort […]
The Postal Service is marking the first anniversary of its first licensed ride-on vehicle for kids. The battery-operated toy, produced by Kid Trax, is geared toward ages 3 to 5 and features a mail slot, rear opening door and working headlights and horn. It also comes with a mailbox and three plastic letters for aspiring […]
The Postal Service wants employees to remember that every USPS facility must comply with federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations. Chapter 69 of the Administrative Support Manual, titled Environmental Management and Compliance, offers guidance on the organization’s policy. The policy is applicable to all USPS facilities, managers, employees, programs, projects, operations, products and […]
Identity theft is one of the nation’s top consumer complaints, with almost 1.4 million reports of stolen identities in 2021, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Thieves have several ways to steal your identity. They can overhear you reading out your credit card number on the phone, buy your information on the dark web or […]
Pete Seeger, the 10th stamp in the Postal Service’s Music Icons series, was dedicated July 21 at the Jane Pickens Theater in Newport, RI. The dedication preceded a concert, “For Pete’s Sake,” which helped kick off the Newport Folk Festival — an event the honoree helped found. “The Postal Service is pleased to present our […]
Rural Carrier Sarah Shaw was recently delivering mail in Tuolumne, CA, when she spotted an unattended brush fire spreading up a tree. Concerned that the blaze was perilously close to a residence with many cars in the driveway, Shaw immediately called 911 and rushed to notify the homeowners, who were hosting a cooking lesson for […]
USPS dedicated its colorful new Mariachi stamps on July 15 at the 30th annual Mariachi Spectacular de Albuquerque in New Mexico. “The Postal Service is proud to unveil these new Mariachi stamps to celebrate the exuberant sounds of this music that is an integral part of Mexican American culture and has fans around the world,” […]
Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar on preparing for retirement. The session, “Retirement 101,” will be held July 28 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 […]
The Postal Service has discontinued the Special Handling — Fragile delivery option, as of July 10. Special Handling — Fragile was an extra service that offered preferential handling of packages for a fee but did not include insurance. After a thorough study, USPS concluded that operational concerns warranted ceasing the service entirely. Customers should be […]
Editor’s note: As of 2 p.m. ET, July 19, both items listed in the story below have sold out at usps.com, which expects to restock them in the coming weeks. The game and puzzle can also be ordered at theop.games. The Postal Service now offers two licensed products designed to appeal to game and puzzle […]
The Postal Service had the most participation of any federal agency in 10K-A-Day, the spring wellness challenge for federal employees. The challenge, which ran from May 2 to June 12, was designed to build healthy habits while allowing participants to travel virtually around the globe. Participants were urged to track physical activity, access recipes, answer […]
Letter Carrier Carlos Gomez Sr. was recently on duty at a Post Office in Portsmouth, NH, when a crisis erupted: A fellow carrier, Steven Staples, started choking on food. Staples used hand signals to let Gomez know help was needed, and Gomez immediately performed the Heimlich maneuver on Staples until the food was dislodged. Staples […]
Freddie Mercury liked to ride his bicycle, as Queen fans know. But the legendary singer had another childhood hobby fans are less aware of: stamp collecting. The Postal Museum in London will display Mercury’s stamp album July 13 until Oct. 30 to mark the 50th anniversary of the U.K. Pride movement. Visitors will also be […]
Mariachi, stamps celebrating the lively Mexican musical tradition, will be released July 15. The term “mariachi” can refer to the music, the person playing it, or anything associated with the genre. Each of the five stamp designs depicts a single mariachi dressed in distinctive, eye-catching garb — an outfit called a traje de charro. These […]