Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Express yourself
Upbeat Pinback Buttons stamps dedicated in Connecticut
The Postal Service dedicated its new Pinback Buttons stamps at the Great American Stamp Show in Hartford, CT, on Thursday, Aug. 15.
“One of the bedrocks of our nation is freedom of expression, so it’s no surprise that pinback buttons have enjoyed such enduring popularity,” said Shibani Gambhir, the USPS sales intelligence and support vice president and one of the speakers at the event.
“Whether they convey your politics, champion a cause, simply tell a joke or serve as a souvenir, these small tokens of your thoughts and interests are easily worn and shared with others,” Gambhir said.
She was joined at the ceremony by Scott English, executive director of the American Philatelic Society, which partnered with USPS for the event; Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS and the stamps’ designer; and Jennifer Miller, executive director of the American Topical Association, a group for stamp collectors.
“Long before we had social media, pinback buttons were a common form of self-expression. Even today, nothing replaces the warmth of a handwritten note to friends and family,” said English.
“When you send your next note, you’ll have an upbeat stamp to add an extra personal touch to the envelope.”
Breeding designed the stamps from illustrations by 10 artists, one for each stamp. The 10 stamps are sold in panes of 20 and are available at Post Offices and on usps.com.
Stay disconnected at home
Don’t pair personal devices with USPS phones, tablets and laptops
The Postal Service is reminding employees and contractors that they should not connect their personal smart devices to USPS-issued smartphones, tablets or laptops.
Smart devices include watches, televisions, appliances, home security cameras and personal tablets and phones. They are part of the Internet of Things, also known as IoT.
These IoT devices connect to the internet and have their own IP addresses — a numeric designation that identifies their location on the internet.
Because of that separate connection to the internet, pairing personal smart devices to a USPS-issued device puts the Postal Service’s network at risk of targeting by cybercriminals through malware and other malicious software.
Connecting personal smart devices or other home devices to USPS equipment violates Postal Service policies. If connected to a postal device, a compromised IoT device could put the network in danger, damage the reputation of stakeholders and create serious cybersecurity issues for the Postal Service.
The CyberSafe at USPS Blue and LiteBlue pages have more information.
August 27, 2024
Datebook
PSHB virtual seminar
USPS employees may participate in an upcoming virtual seminar on the new Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program.
The session will be held Tuesday, Aug. 27, from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern.
PSHB — which takes effect in 2025 — is a new, separate program within the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and will be administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
USPS employees, annuitants, and eligible family members are required to enroll in this new program.
The MyHR website’s PSHB page has more information, including the Zoom links and passcodes to participate. To find the page, enter “Postal Service Health Benefits” in the MyHR search bar.
Participation is voluntary. Nonexempt employees must be off the clock or on authorized breaks.
Employees can also receive updates by texting “PSHBP” to 39369.
Postal Pulse survey deadline approaching
USPS is encouraging employees to complete the Postal Pulse survey before the Friday, Sept. 13, deadline.
The survey, which began Aug. 6, allows employees to share observations about their work environment. This feedback helps USPS to make positive changes and improvements.
The Postal Pulse survey takes about 5-7 minutes to complete.
Nonbargaining employees should have received an email with the survey link from donotreply@perceptyx.com. The name is Perceptyx, this year’s survey administrator.
Bargaining unit employees were sent a paper survey at their work location to be completed on the clock.
Although some employees have several options to participate, only one survey for each employee will be counted.
Perceptyx doesn’t share individual employees’ survey responses with USPS. Only summary data will be shared with the organization.
For more information, employees can go to the MyHR webpage and select “Postal Pulse Survey” under “About Human Resources” on the homepage.