Renee Miller, Jewett, NY
I love the A Visit From St. Nick and Otter in Snow stamps that USPS announced last week. I think customers will love them, too. […]
Shawn Selby
Posts by Shawn Selby
Sharing your views
USPS is urging employees to complete the Postal Pulse survey before the June 11 deadline. The survey, which began May 11, allows employees to share observations about their work environments. This feedback helps USPS make positive changes and improvements. It takes about five minutes to complete the survey, which has 14 questions. […]
More savings
The Postal Service wants employees to know about recent changes to the Federal Flexible Spending Account program. The program, also known as FSAFEDS, allows employees to make pretax payroll contributions to cover their family’s health, dental, vision and day care expenses, saving approximately 30 percent on out-of-pocket costs. Recently enacted laws have allowed the U.S. […]
Here they come
The Postal Service has announced dates for stamp releases through mid-October, along with the cities where they will be dedicated: • Tap Dance: Saturday, July 10, New York City • Western Wear: Friday, July 23, Abilene, TX • Ursula K. Le Guin: Tuesday, July 27, Portland, OR • Raven Story: Friday, July 30, Juneau, AK […]
USPS to replace eAccess
The Postal Service will soon introduce ARIS, a state-of-the-art system that will be used to provide employees with secure, easy access to USPS digital resources. ARIS — short for Access Registration and Identity Services — will effectively replace eAccess, which was launched 23 years ago and uses legacy technology that is costly to maintain. The […]
Dear Abbie
Retail Associate Abbie Campagna was on duty recently in Greendale, WI, when she grew concerned about a 91-year-old customer. Over the course of a few days, the woman had purchased thousands of dollars’ worth of postal money orders and mailed them to addresses around the country. Campagna alerted local police and the Postal Inspection Service. […]
Sandra Greene, Waukesha, WI
The T-shirt worn by Angela Creighbaum, the Burlington, WI, rural carrier who helped a woman who had fallen outside her home, says it all: “Be kind.” […]
My App Box upgrade
The latest upgrade to My App Box — the Postal Service’s tool for quick access to more than 430 applications — allows users to configure Microsoft Edge and other web browsers for specific applications. Employees with ACE computers can find My App Box by clicking on the Windows icon on the left side of the […]
Spring cleaning
Retail Refresh, a campaign to encourage a uniform appearance and approach to enforcing the USPS brand at Post Offices nationwide, kicked off May 1. “We want to achieve clear, clean, safe and organized retail spaces that contain only what is needed, when it is needed,” said Peggy Havanas, a USPS retail management analyst. For example, […]
Dollars and sense
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. How much total revenue did the Postal Service report for fiscal year 2021’s second quarter (Jan. 1-March 31)? a) Approximately $82 million b) Approximately $4.5 billion c) Approximately $18.9 billion d) […]
New stamps
The Postal Service has announced two additions to its 2021 stamp lineup. The first is Otters in Snow, a booklet of 20 stamps featuring four scenes of the alert and playful North American river otter reveling in a winter landscape. The original illustrations were rendered in pen and ink, with watercolor in shades of brown […]
Area vice presidents
Two Postal Service executives who have been serving in their roles on an acting basis have been appointed to the positions permanently. Elvin Mercado was named retail and delivery operations vice president for Central Area, which includes 10 states and 33 million delivery points. He was named acting vice president in March. Previously, Mercado served […]
Farm fresh
Heirloom animals get their day in the sun with the May 17 release of Heritage Breeds, the Postal Service’s latest Forever stamps. These preindustrial farm animals were common before the onset of factory farming, which hybridized livestock for maximum productivity. This hybridization limited genetic diversity. The survival of heritage breeds — many of which need […]
The ABCs of TSP
Thrift Savings Plan specialists will offer webinars and live question-and-answer sessions throughout May and June on the ins and outs of federal retirement. Here’s an overview of the webinars and when they’ll be offered (all times are Eastern): • TSP Investment Funds: An overview of TSP investment funds. May 20 at 8 a.m., June 16 […]
Richard Ripke, Bethpage, NY
Thanks for the heads up about smishing, the text messages designed to con smartphone users into providing sensitive information. […]
Guardian Angela
Rural Carrier Angela Creighbaum was making deliveries on a chilly, wet day last spring in Burlington, WI, when she encountered an older customer yelling for help. Creighbaum rushed to check on the woman, who had fallen outside her home two hours earlier and couldn’t get up. The Postal Service employee safely helped the customer get […]
Stay or go?
Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar to learn how to avoid food waste by extending the life of your food. The session, “Should It Stay or Go: Avoid Food Waste,” will be held Tuesday, May 18, at noon EDT. Melanie Berdyck, a nutritionist for the Giant supermarket chain, will conduct the webinar […]
Satisfied customer
A lead from an Alabama employee has resulted in a shipping deal worth more than $9.5 million for the Postal Service. Charles Bailey, a retail associate in Scottsboro, knew of a rug manufacturer that was shipping its products through a competitor. He submitted a lead through Clerks Care, a program that allows retail associates, call […]
The right sort
The Postal Service is rolling out new machines specifically designed to help delivery units expedite package processing, an important objective of Delivering for America, the organization’s new 10-year plan. Seven small delivery unit sorter (SDUS) machines have been installed so far, with six installed in April; another 93 are slated for installation before the start […]
Pressing issue
Rural Carrier Anthony Alexander was recently making deliveries in Hayden, AL, when he encountered a customer in distress. The man had sliced an artery in his arm while working on a tractor outside his home, and he was struggling to get inside for help. Alexander rushed to his aid and immediately called 911, at which […]
Project: Mailbox
The Postal Service is encouraging customers to zhoosh up their letter boxes for Mailbox Improvement Week, an annual campaign running this year from May 16-22. “Clean, official and well-maintained mailboxes aren’t only aesthetically pleasing; they help smooth delivery for mail carriers and speed service for an entire route. Mailbox Improvement Week is an opportunity for […]
May days
The Postal Service wants employees to know about special flag requirements for this month’s holidays: • Peace Officers Memorial Day, which honors police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty, is Saturday, May 15. Postal Service facilities are usually required to fly the U.S. flag at half-staff this day. However, because Peace […]
Test your metal
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. Which of the following characters is not featured on the new “Star Wars” Droids stamps? a) D-O b) K-2SO c) L3-37 d) R5-D4 2. True or false: Employees who accept the […]
Sustainability excellence
The Postal Service is still seeking nominations for the 2020 USPS Sustainability Excellence Awards. The annual awards recognize areas, districts, facilities, teams and individuals who help foster sustainable workplaces. A recent call to action asks nominators to share stories from fiscal year 2020 (Oct. 1, 2019-Sept. 30, 2020) that demonstrate innovation, leadership and measurable effects […]
One to grow on
Post Offices across the nation are holding events in May for small-business customers as part of the Postal Service’s annual Grow Your Business Day campaign. This year’s theme is “Your Business Is Our Business,” emphasizing the role USPS plays in helping millions of small businesses deliver goods to their customers. “Since the earliest days of […]
Finazzo retires
Krista Finazzo, the Central Area retail and delivery operations vice president who recently served on a special assignment working on the Postal Service’s new 10-year plan, retired April 30 after 27 years with the organization. “Krista has served the Postal Service with dedication, passion and laser focus on our mission in every position she has […]
Emergency federal employee leave
The Postal Service wants to you understand a new form of leave that has been created for federal workers, including USPS employees, in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The new leave, emergency federal employee leave (EFEL), was established under the American Rescue Plan Act, a law that took effect March 11. The U.S. Office of […]
Kimberly Freeborough, Richmond, VA
I really enjoyed “Grace notes,” the article about Mary Steinbicker, a retired librarian who sends postcards to a different acquaintance every day. I might borrow that idea when it’s my time to retire. […]
Sweet’s no treat
Rural Carrier Associate Melodie Walters was recently working at her case in a Fort Myers, FL, postal facility when she heard a colleague scream: “She needs help!” Walters, a former nurse, saw that another co-worker nearby was choking. She rushed to the woman’s aid and performed the Heimlich maneuver, dislodging a piece of candy. The […]
On the mark
The Postal Service’s Submit a Lead program has passed $1 billion in total revenue since it began in 2003. Submit a Lead allows employees who are not eligible to participate in the Postal Service’s other lead-generation programs to pass on information about customers who could benefit from USPS products and services. Employees who participate in […]