Open season, the annual period when Postal Service employees can change their health benefits or enroll in a new plan, begins Monday, Nov. 9. A variety of health, vision and dental coverage is available through the following plans and programs: Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) USPS Health Benefits Plan (USPSHBP) for non-career employees only […]
November is Diabetes Awareness Month, a time to learn more about the disease that affects more than 30 million adults in the United States. Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how the body converts food into energy. The disease increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, lower-limb amputation and blindness, according […]
The doggie mail carrier costumes featured in “Doggie double take” are pawesome and the two canine models are quite fetching! […]
Letter Carrier Nathan Sies was delivering mail in March to a Whitewater, WI, group home for eight disabled residents when he noticed something worrisome: There was a burning odor in the air and a smoke detector was beeping. Sies knocked on the main door and alerted a customer, who called 911 just as they saw […]
The Postal Service dedicated the Drug Free USA stamp during a ceremony this week at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration headquarters in Arlington, VA. “It’s our hope that the Drug Free USA stamp will help publicize the dangers of illicit drug use and to promote drug abuse prevention,” said Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. “Millions of […]
Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar on preparing for retirement. The session, “Understanding Health Insurance in Retirement,” will be held Friday, Nov. 6, at 1 p.m. EST. (The webinar was originally slated for Oct. 27 but was rescheduled due to technical problems.) Susan Allgood, a federal plans team relationship manager for Aetna, […]
Daylight saving time will end Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2 a.m. In areas where the change is observed, people will “fall back” and set their manual clocks back one hour at bedtime Oct. 31. Standard time will be in effect until March 14, 2021, when daylight saving time will resume. Got news? Email your submissions […]
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. True or false: When using the Zoom videoconferencing platform, you can help the Postal Service avoid charges by using your computer’s audio or your phone to dial into a meeting. a) […]
The “Heroes’ Corner” column about Keith Rollins, the Washington, DC, carrier technician who rescued a lost 2-year-old boy, brought tears to my eyes. […]
The latest video from Postmaster General Louis DeJoy updates employees on the Postal Service’s work to deliver election-related mail. To serve voters who mail their ballots close to deadline, the organization is prioritizing ballots, adding postmarking resources, adding extra transportation wherever it is needed, and working with local election officials to meet special needs. “We […]
Tanya Lyle wants to help Postal Service employees share accurate, approved information with their colleagues. Lyle, the USPS brand and policy manager, oversees the organization’s clearance process, which is used to review and approve forms, directives, Postal Bulletin articles and other official documents before they are published. Through clearance, employees seeking to publish documents must […]
Need help avoiding dreaded holiday weight gain? If so, you can participate in an upcoming webinar to learn ways to stay healthy during the most wonderful time of the year. The session, “Hold the Stuffing,” will be held Tuesday, Nov. 3, at noon EDT. GEHA, a not-for-profit provider of health plans for federal employees, will […]
The Postal Service will help mark Red Ribbon Week by releasing the Drug Free USA stamp on Oct. 27. Red Ribbon Week, the nation’s oldest and largest drug abuse prevention awareness program, runs Oct. 23-31 and coincides with National Substance Abuse Prevention Month every October. The annual commemoration began in 1988 to honor Enrique “Kiki” […]
Washington, DC, Carrier Technician Keith Rollins was driving to a postal facility while on duty one morning in February when something alongside Interstate 95 caught his eye. It might have been a small animal, Rollins thought, but he also knew authorities and volunteers had been combing the area overnight for a missing toddler, Ethan Adeyemi. […]
I enjoyed the Postal Inspection Service video highlighted in the recent “Proud history” article. I learned so much about what the agency has done over the years to protect the mail, people and Post Offices. […]
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy discussed the Postal Service’s important role in elections and thanked employees for their dedication during a recent visit to USPS facilities in Philadelphia. “Our fellow citizens are counting on us more than ever. Delivering their ballots must be our top priority now and through the first week of November,” DeJoy told […]
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. Fill in the blank: More than 13 million customers are expected to use usps.com on (blank), making it the Postal Service’s busiest day online this holiday season. a) Dec. 7 b) […]
USPS has released Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s latest video update for employees. Among the topics addressed: preparations for the holiday mailing and shipping season, the Postal Service’s new organizational structure, the response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and efforts to deliver election-related mail. “Based on the great work being done now, we should all be […]
The Postal Service wants employees to avoid choosing the audio option in Zoom that costs additional money. If you select the “Call Me” feature before connecting to a meeting and then choose the “United States of America” option, the Postal Service incurs a charge. The following Zoom audio connection choices do not cost the Postal […]
The Postal Service wants employees to know that they are prohibited from showing prerecorded films or movie clips at USPS facilities because of trademark and other legal restrictions. Prerecorded movies include motion pictures stored on VHS cassettes, DVDs, Blu-ray discs and storage devices (such as computers, tablets and smartphones), as well as movies accessed on […]
Our Lady of Guápulo, this year’s religious-themed Christmas stamp, will be released Oct. 20. The stamp features a detail of “Our Lady of Guápulo,” which was painted in the 18th century by an unknown artist in Cuzco, Peru. The painting shows the Virgin Mary — wearing a crown, enrobed in a pyramidal gown speckled with […]
Letter Carrier Dixie Manns was recently delivering mail to a Michigan City, IN, apartment building occupied by mostly older residents. When she walked in, she heard alarms going off and saw a customer standing in his doorway. The man said his apartment was on fire and Manns urged him to leave, but he was unable […]
The Postal Service is launching a national campaign to raise employee awareness of job-related injuries caused by slips, trips and falls. National Slip, Trip and Fall Prevention Week will run from Oct. 17-23. The organization ran a similar effort last year. A total of 17,534 USPS employees were affected by slip, trip and fall injuries […]
The Postal Service will release Winter Scenes, stamps that celebrate the season’s splendor and serenity, on Oct. 16. The booklet of 20 stamps feature 10 photographs from the Northern United States. Five stamps feature images of winter wildlife against their snowy habitats: a bright red cardinal, a colorful blue jay, two foraging deer, a majestic […]
“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 revenue did the Race for a $Billion campaign raise for the Postal Service? a) $1 billion b) $1.1 billion c) $1.2 billion d) $1.3 billion 2. Which city did […]
Letter Carrier Pedro Mendoza was delivering mail earlier this year in a Grand Junction, CO, neighborhood when he came upon an alarming scene: A man wielding a knife was threatening a woman and her child outside a residence. “He was saying, ‘I’m going to kill you and your baby and I’m going to slice his […]
The “Money’s worth” article that encouraged USPS employees to conduct a paycheck checkup was very helpful. I think it would be good to offer this information again in late April, after most people have filed their taxes. […]
The Postal Service has recommended deadlines for the holiday mailing and shipping season. The suggestions, released Oct. 8, are for expected delivery by Dec. 25 to domestic, Air/Army Post Office (APO), Fleet Post Office (FPO) and Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) addresses. Here are the deadlines: Nov. 6: APO, FPO and DPO addresses (all ZIP Codes), […]
The Postal Service is making it easier for managers and supervisors to keep the lines of communication open with employees who report to them. Through the Next Level Connection program, managers and supervisors are encouraged to have regular conversations with employees about their engagement, including the 12 areas measured by the Postal Pulse employee survey. […]
World Post Day, which is held annually to raise awareness of the role of postal services globally in our daily lives, is Oct. 9. The commemoration also celebrates the evolution of postal services, which can be traced to 255 B.C., the date of the first known mailpiece, found in Egypt. In the 17th and 18th […]