Robert Miller Jr., Dulles, VA
“Birthday boss” was a heartwarming story about a business leader who has written personalized birthday cards annually for every employee in his company. It’s a nice example of just how personable the mail can be. […]
Shawn Selby
Posts by Shawn Selby
Cul-de-sac crisis
Letter Carrier Mark Palmer was delivering mail one day last spring in a Decatur, GA, neighborhood when he came upon a customer experiencing a medical emergency. Mabel Walls, 79, had stumbled on her front steps and sliced an artery when she fell onto a lawn ornament, nearly splitting her foot in two. On a quiet […]
Carry on
“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 blanks: The Postal Service workforce includes about (blank) letter carriers and (blank) city carrier assistants. a) 42,100; 166,300 b) 166,300; 42,100 c) 633,000; 42,100 d) 633,000; 166,300 2. […]
Less taxing
The Postal Service now offers a free benefit that makes it easier for employees who use H&R Block to file their taxes. Employees can now automatically upload information from their W-2 and 1095-C forms to the H&R Block tax preparation company. The tax information — secured with USPS information systems — is uploaded to H&R […]
All hands on deck
Doris “Dorie” Miller has made U.S. naval history again. During a Martin Luther King Jr. Day ceremony last week, the U.S. Navy named an aircraft carrier after the World War II-era sailor, whom the Postal Service honored with a stamp in 2010. This marks the first time an aircraft carrier has been named for an […]
Renea Puckett, Fayetteville, NC
I loved the “Birthday boss” article about the chief executive officer who writes thousands of birthday cards to his employees each year. Having a boss who truly appreciates his employees and is so humble is a godsend. […]
Home alone
Letter Carrier Ofelia McCown was delivering mail on a fall day in Floydada, TX, when she encountered a crisis at the home of an older customer who lives alone. As McCown approached the man’s porch, she found him sitting down with a blood-soaked towel wrapped around his arm, which he had seriously injured while operating […]
Rural Reach Day
The Postal Service will celebrate its lead-sharing program for rural carriers by designating Friday, Jan. 24, as Rural Reach Day. Across the nation, USPS districts will hold events to thank rural carriers for contributing to the program, which has generated more than $640 million in estimated annualized revenue since it began in 2008. “On Rural […]
‘One of a kind’
Tony Fortik always smiles when he hears a customer say the Weiser, ID, Post Office is the “best-looking Post Office I’ve seen.” Located in western Idaho, the 84-year-old brick building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Fortik, a USPS building maintenance custodian, has proudly maintained the office since 1991. “Inside, outside, painting, landscaping, […]
New employee discount
Employee discount. USPS employees can receive a discount on training from Pryor Learning Solutions to enhance their skills and aid their self-development. Employees can pay $99 to receive 12 months of unlimited access to Pryor’s more than 7,000 free instructor-led seminars and 4,500 online courses that can be accessed 24/7 from a computer or mobile […]
In the cards
“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 personalized birthday cards does Belfor Holdings CEO Sheldon Yellen mail to employees each year? a) 92 b) 920 c) 9,200 d) 92,000 2. How many letters were “adopted” […]
Jennifred Jones, Wingate, IN
The new “Engage” video shows that employees are the most valuable part of any organization. When they are respected and treated well, they will outperform anyone, anywhere. […]
Hasty helper
Rural Carrier Associate Karen Grubs was recently delivering mail in Elizabethtown, KY, when she saw a minivan veer off the road and crash into a tree. Grubs immediately parked her vehicle and rushed to the scene. The Postal Service employee checked on the driver and called 911. Emergency responders soon arrived to provide further assistance. […]
Showtime!
During the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last week, the Postal Service showcased the many ways the organization can help customers with shipping. The Las Vegas event drew more than 170,000 attendees, including many potential customers who ship products and handle returns. The Postal Service’s 80-by-60-foot booth contained monitors that played videos about what USPS can […]
Sharing knowledge
The Postal Service has a new ally in its efforts to combat ransomware, malware, phishing and other cyberthreats. The U.S. Marines. Last month, the USPS Corporate Information Office’s Cybersecurity Operations Center in Morrisville, NC, opened its doors to the Marine Corps for a facility tour, presentations and discussion about future opportunities for collaboration. The Marines […]
Dedicated deliveries
Like all Postal Service employees, letter carriers make important contributions to the organization’s business. Letter carriers deliver mail and packages to homes, businesses and other customers. These employees also collect mailpieces, obtain signatures and answer customers’ questions about postal products and services. The USPS workforce includes about 633,000 employees, including 166,300 letter carriers and 42,100 […]
Edge of the world
Here are five things to know about West Texas’s Big Bend region, which will be featured on a Priority Mail stamp slated for release Saturday, Jan. 18. 1. Big Bend derives its name from its location along the Rio Grande River. The area “turns” along the river, thus creating a big bend and a natural […]
Martha Carson, Guysville, OH
I look forward to the new stamps that USPS plans to release in 2020. As a veteran and a doggy rescuer, the Military Working Dogs stamps were my favorites last year. […]
Door to floor
Letter Carrier Joseph Kepling was delivering mail last July at a residence in Napoleon, OH, when he grew concerned about an 87-year-old customer whose front door was open with a dead kitten nearby. Realizing he hadn’t recently seen the woman, who was known for regularly riding her bicycle around the neighborhood, Kepling alerted his supervisor. […]
Write to vote
If USPS is the original social network, then postcards might be considered the first tweets. And just as today’s activists use Twitter to promote their favorite causes, advocates for women voting — called suffragists — used postcards to make their case more than a century ago. “Suffrage was the first movement that was able to […]
Proud to protect
The latest #PostalProud video shines a spotlight on a postal inspector. “Carroll’s Story” features co-workers and family members praising Carroll Harris, a husband and father of three sons who is based at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC. “Carroll brings an impressive level of energy to everything he does and just sheer passion, not only for […]
Free for all
Did you know the Postal Service offers free self-development training to all employees? This program allows employees to learn something new, grow personally, improve their skills and, in some cases, prepare for professional certifications. More than 3,200 courses are available, including offerings at the beginner, intermediate and advanced proficiency levels. All courses are voluntary and […]
Exceeding expectations
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. By how much did USPS employees surpass the organization’s goal for Combined Federal Campaign donations last year? a) 2 percent b) 3.8 percent c) 8.3 percent d) 20 percent 2. How […]
First responder
Michael Bond, a custodian at the Baltimore Processing and Distribution Center, was on the job one day last March when a colleague suffered a heart attack and collapsed. Bond was the first person on the scene and rushed to his co-worker’s aid — comforting him and keeping him conscious while 911 was called. Paramedics soon […]
Derest Brown, Dallas
I loved reading “Front and center,” the article about Brad Albright, the Grand Rapids, MI, Vehicle Maintenance Facility tool and parts clerk who recently received a medal of recognition 29 years after he served in the military during Desert Storm. The story brought tears to my eyes. […]
Cyberthreat warning
USPS is requiring employees, contractors and others to demonstrate increased cybersecurity vigilance amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. Email spearphishing campaigns targeting U.S. government agencies are intensifying, the Postal Service Corporate Information Security Office reports. Cyberthreat actors are aggressively attempting to steal sensitive information, including account credentials and financial data, using targeted campaigns. This […]
Righting wrongs
The latest episode of the USPS video series “Engage” highlights a postal plant where supervisors and employees have learned to work better together. The Dominick V. Daniels Processing and Distribution Center in Kearny, NJ, faced a morale problem when Jacqueline Thomas became plant manager in 2017. “When I first got here, people didn’t want to […]
Bridge to the future
If you work for the Postal Service, chances are you’ve heard a lot about Informed Delivery in recent years. That’s because the free feature is an important part of the organization’s future. Informed Delivery bridges digital and physical communications by allowing consumers to digitally preview their incoming mail and manage their packages from computers, smartphones […]
Featured creature
To help prepare for this week’s release of Year of the Rat, the first stamp in the latest Lunar New Year series, here are five facts about the creatures and their role in the holiday. 1. The rat is the first of the 12 zodiac animal signs associated with the Chinese lunar calendar. Many ancient […]
Earl Musick, Washington, DC
I really enjoy reading Link. We receive so many emails. Link is always the first one that I open. It’s positive, encouraging and brightens my day. […]