USPS is offering special “Paint it Pink” ReadyPost shipping supplies at select Post Offices, in time for Mother’s Day. Customers can purchase decorative box and bubble mailer designs that can be used for gift wrapping as well as mailing. The boxes fit inside Priority Mail boxes, making an ideal shipping item with added protection. The […]
The Postal Service is asking employees to remain vigilant for insider security threats that could compromise the organization’s operations. Insider security threats refer to employees, contractors or business partners who fall into two categories: accidental insiders and malicious insiders. Accidental insiders unintentionally violate security policies or online best practices by: Not physically securing laptop computers […]
The Combined Federal Campaign has reopened so federal employees can contribute to charities during the coronavirus pandemic. Donations can be made from April 20 through June 30. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management, which runs the campaign, also known as the CFC, is offering the special solicitation period to support charities as they face unprecedented […]
Ikaika Bright understands the importance of employee communications. Bright, the Honolulu Processing and Distribution Center’s acting senior plant manager, sees stand-up talks as one of the Postal Service’s most valuable methods to deliver information. Stand-up talks are brief presentations on a single topic that managers and supervisors deliver to groups of employees. During the coronavirus […]
More than a dozen states are considering allowing voters to cast their ballots by mail or have already done so this primary season as physical distancing and stay-at-home orders make conducting traditional elections difficult. The coronavirus pandemic has prompted many states to postpone their primaries until late summer. In several of these states, governors and […]
Informed Delivery has reached 25 million subscribers, another milestone for the free online feature that is helping the Postal Service to bridge digital and physical communications. Informed Delivery allows consumers to digitally preview their incoming mail and manage their packages from computers, smartphones and other devices. Since its national launch in 2017, the feature has […]
Rural Carrier Associate Rosalinda Roman was making deliveries one day last summer in Mathis, TX, when she grew concerned about an older customer whose mail was piling up. Roman was especially worried because there was a late notice for the woman’s electric bill and she didn’t answer the door for a package delivery — both […]
I loved the “Cycling success” article about Post Offices where letter carriers make their rounds on bikes. If I were a carrier, I’d want to deliver by bike. […]
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. Approximately how many vehicles are in the Postal Service fleet? a) 44,000 b) 160,000 c) 228,000 d) 470,000 2. True or false: Although ethics rules generally prohibit the acceptance of gifts, […]
Eight facilities, teams and programs will receive Postmaster General Sustainability Excellence Awards for their efforts to help USPS achieve its sustainability goals. The honorees, announced this week, are: The Facilities team at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC, which installed waste receptacles in designated smoking areas to implement a process for free recycling of cigarette butts, […]
The Postal Service is reminding employees to avoid taking photos or videos of their workplace to share on social media, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. During this challenging time, employees may want to post images of the inside or outside of the facility where they work, and share workplace stories with friends and family. However, […]
The Postal Service will deliver the economic impact payments that the federal government is sending to eligible households as part of its response to the coronavirus pandemic. USPS, in its role as an essential service, will accept, process and deliver an estimated 60 million checks from the U.S. Treasury Department. About 5 million to 8 […]
Letter carriers at the Sun City, AZ, Main Post Office are contributing to USPS sustainability efforts two wheels at a time. The office is one of only four in the Postal Service where carriers make their rounds on bike. “They’re very sturdy, and carriers have to be trained how to ride them because they are […]
The Postal Service has established a COVID-19 Supplies Command Center to ensure USPS facilities have supplies to keep employees safe and meet facilities’ cleaning needs during the coronavirus pandemic. While facilities should continue to order supplies following standard procedures and using local buying where available, the center is working closely with Supply Management and district […]
Kabirul Islam is vigilant in his efforts to help keep the Merrifield, VA, Post Office safe for his colleagues and customers. The retail associate understands the importance of following the Postal Service’s new guidelines to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. “We wear masks and gloves and put hand sanitizer in the lobby area […]
The Postal Service is reminding employees to watch out for children and dogs whose normal routines have changed due to lockdowns prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. With many workplaces and most schools closed because of the outbreak, more customers are at home during the daytime with their kids and pets. When driving postal vehicles in […]
Letter Carrier Christopher Giacini was recently delivering mail in a Glendale, AZ, neighborhood when he spotted smoke pouring out of a four-unit apartment building. While a bystander called 911, Giacini leapt into action, banging on the front door of each unit, shouting “fire” and guiding residents and their pets to safety. Firefighters soon arrived to […]
I enjoy Link. By reading it, I learn a lot about the Postal Service. […]
Toni Guist is a natural. The Postal Service retail associate has handled passport applications for less than a year, but she already has been honored for her work by the U.S. State Department. Guist, who works at Clarence B. Craft Station in Fayetteville, AR, was one of four finalists for a special recognition citation in […]
A new coloring page is available to celebrate the outpouring of public support that Postal Service employees are receiving during the coronavirus pandemic. The page shows a letter carrier delivering mail to a home where two children stand at a window, holding a homemade thank-you sign and a drawing of a postal worker. In the […]
The Postal Service will release a stamp Saturday, April 18, to celebrate Earth Day, which will mark its 50th anniversary next week. Earth Day, held each year on April 22, was first celebrated in 1970, when U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin inspired thousands of people to organize against pollution following a major oil spill […]
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. USPS is testing a new Informed Delivery feature that lets users know when certain mailpieces are delivered. What mailpieces are involved? a) Letter-size mail and flat-size mail b) Letter-size mail, flat-size […]
The Postal Service is encouraging employees who are military members, veterans or spouses of veterans to complete a voluntary self-identification survey using a new application on HERO. “Completing this survey will allow the Postal Service to update its data, which can help us improve the workplace for veterans, current military members and employees who are […]
The Postal Service is making it easier to identify external mails to prevent employees and contractors from clicking on malicious links or downloading attachments that could pose a cyberthreat to the organization. Starting April 13, all emails from non-USPS senders will display the following banner at the top of the email: “CAUTION: This email originated […]
To help mark Financial Literacy Month in April, the USPS Wellness team will offer a retirement planning webinar for Postal Service employees. Aetna will host the webinar, which will focus on the following topics: Medicare, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB), the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) and the Thrift Savings […]
Link is seeking suggestions for “Best Practices,” a regular column that allows Postal Service employees to share tips on a variety of workplace topics. In recent months, “Best Practices” has featured Malik Jackson, a retail associate who offered advice on promoting USPS products and services; Tom Cappaert, a letter carrier who shared tips on delivering mail in […]
City Carrier Assistant Michael Jordan was recently delivering mail in Chillicothe, OH, when he spotted an older motorist in distress. The man had pulled over alongside a road, opened his car door and yelled for help as he slumped out of the driver’s seat. Jordan rushed to the man’s side, called 911, guided him to […]
The National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU) membership has ratified a new three-year labor contract with the Postal Service. The contract covers approximately 43,000 employees represented by the union. Highlights of the agreement include annual general wage increases, a reduction in the employer share of health premiums, increased flexibility to use non-career mail handler assistant […]
The Postal Service is testing a new Informed Delivery feature that lets users know when their mail has been delivered. Informed Delivery, which has more than 23.5 million subscribers, allows users to receive digital previews of their incoming mail and manage their packages from smartphones, tablets and other devices. During the test, users receive email notices […]
The Postal Service employee who helped integrate New Orleans public schools as a child returned to her alma mater last month to mark a new beginning for the historic site. Gail Etienne-Stripling was one of three African American first-grade students known as the McDonogh Three who integrated McDonogh 19 Elementary School in 1960. The Tulsa, […]